Technische Universität Dresden
Aluminum alloys, particularly those in the 2000 series, are widely used in the aerospace industry due to their exceptional mechanical properties. Recent advancements have made it possible to modify their surface properties, expanding their potential applications in various fields. Superhydrophobicity is an attractive property that enables the development of surfaces with anti-bacterial, anti-icing, and anti-corrosive properties, among others. Nanosecond pulsed lasers have demonstrated their effectiveness in creating superhydrophobic surfaces by generating periodic microstructures as well as modifying surface chemistry. In this frame, this study aims to investigate the chemical stability of superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated using laser technology. The contact angle between the surface and the droplets was measured at different pH values (from 1 to 14) and compared to an unstructured reference sample. The results show that the samples treated by Direct Laser Writing exhibit a 2D-dot pattern with a structure size of 70 μm in diameter and 40 μm in depth. The treated surfaces reach the superhydrophobic state and retain contact angles between 151.1 ± 1.5° and 157.0 ± 0.5° for pH values in the range between 2 and 9. At higher pH values, the droplets collapse due to rapid chemical reaction with the surface. In contrast, the unstructured samples exhibit a maximum contact angle of 95.0 ± 0.5° at a neutral pH of 7. The variation in chemical stability at high pH values between the treated and untreated surfaces can be attributed to the detachment of Al2CuMg precipitates from the surface of the Al 2024-T351 alloy during the laser structuring process. This detachment renders the surface more vulnerable to corrosion reactions initiated by the Al(OH)4- ion. These findings demonstrate that laser fabricated superhydrophobic surfaces, maintain their properties over a wide pH range.
Abstract
Erwerben Sie einen Zugang, um dieses Dokument anzusehen.
Poster
Erwerben Sie einen Zugang, um dieses Dokument anzusehen.
© 2026