Abstract
The phase-change heat transfer in gold (Au) particles, vertically irradiated by a single-pulse laser, was investigated using a two-temperature model combined with the results of uneven particle surface light intensity distribution due to scattering. By coupling the interface energy balance equation and the phase tracking method of nucleation kinetics, the position of the solid-liquid interface was determined and the impact of laser parameters on the sintering process was investigated. As the laser irradiated the Au particles vertically, the melting process mainly occurred at both poles of the particles. The melting began at the bottom and resulted in a relatively small melting volume. As the laser energy density rose, the melting volume of the particles also increased. During the laser irradiation phase, the particle size increase led to an increase in the light intensity, and hence, temperature, at the bottom of the particle due to the scattering effect. At the end of laser irradiation, larger particle sizes resulted in a higher heat transfer volume per unit of light surface area. This led to lower temperatures, followed by particle melting, and a faster decline of the temperature at the bottom of the particle.