Abstract
The paper describes spectroscopic characteristics of plasma induced in the pulsed YAG laser welding of alloys containing a large amount of volatile elements. The authors have conducted the spectroscopic analyses of laser induced Al-Mg alloys plasma in the air and argon atmosphere. In the air environment the identified spectra were atomic lines of Al, Mg, Cr, Mn, Cu, Fe and Zn and singly ionized Mg lines as well as the intense molecular spectra of ALO and MgO formed by chemi-cal reactions of evaporated Al and Mg atoms from the pool surface with oxygen in the air. In argon atmosphere MgO and AlO spectra vanished but AlH spectrum was detected. the hydrogen source was presumable hydrogen dissolved in the base metals water absorbed on the surface oxide layer or $H_2$ and $H_2O$ in the shielding gas. The resonant lines of Al and Mg were strongly self-absorbed in particular self-absorption of the Mg line was predominant. These results show that the laser induced plasma was made of metallic vapor with relatively low temperature and high density.
