Preparation of a Highly Oleophobic Magnesium Alloy AZ31 Surface with Hierarchical Structure and Fluorination

Wettability is an important surface property owing to its useful characteristics such as self-cleaning, antifrosting, and anticorrosion. In particular, an oleophobic surface, which can overcome the limitation of the antifouling performance of a hydrophobic surface, is a considerably valuable research subject. Magnesium alloys are widely used in various industrial fields owing to their superior mechanical performance; however, a technology that is applicable for surface modification has been limited due to their chemical properties. In this study, a new method to prepare a highly oleophobic magnesium alloy AZ31 surface is introduced; this method involves applying a hierarchical structure and fluorination. The hierarchical structure was formed via two-step anodization and magnesium hydroxide formation, and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) coating method was applied to fluorinate the surface. This hierarchical structure with low surface energy can reduce the contact area between the surface and droplets, thereby decreasing the adhesive force. Contact angles were measured using various test liquids to evaluate the oleophobic surface, and all test liquids, including rapeseed oil (35.0 mN/m), were repelled by the surface.