Organic emissions during laser cutting of fibre-reinforced plastics.

During laser cutting of fibre-reinforced plastics (i.e. epoxy resins reinforced by aramide-, glass- or carbon fibres, phenol resins reinforced by aramide fibres, polyester, polyurethane and polyamide reinforced by glass fibres) mainly the same compounds are emitted i.e. aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and alkylbenzenes, phenylacetylene, styrene, indene and naphihalene and heteroatom-containing aromatic compounds such as phenol, benzofurane and benzonitrile. Benzene is the dominating component which is emitted up to 36 mg/g cutting loss or 24 mg/m cutting length. In addition laser cutting of fibre-reinforced polymers leads to the emission of hydrocyanic acid.