Laser cutting of phenolic resin panels: Identification of potential hazards

Laser cutting is the most widely implemented application of lasers in industry. The many advantages of this process stimulate users in industry to try this technique to cut anything they may need. Some of these materials are different kinds of wood, which are being cut with excellent results and productivity. The radiation of CO₂ lasers is highly absorbed by cellulose of woods, so the main cutting mechanism is chemical degradation of this organic constituent by the laser radiation. Wood is also substituted in many applications for some cheaper composites derived from wood residues. Some of the most widely used are the well-know particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF), using aminoplastics or phenolic resins as binder of the wood chips. Phenolic resins are also the main constituent of a new kind of composite which is formed as a board, substituting wood in highly aggressive environments. But laser cutting of wood and phenolic resin panels involves a serious healthy hazard since their combustion and decomposition may produce aerosols (fumes, smokes and mists) and organic vapors which can be toxic and carcinogenic. Unfortunately, information about decomposition byproducts of these resins under laser irradiation is not available in order to accomplish with safety codes. In the present work we study laser cutting of particleboard and phenolic resin panels, evaluating the health hazard of the byproducts according to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration.