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Three-Dimensionally Printed Microstructured Hydrophobic Surfaces: Morphology and Wettability.
Loredana Tammaro1, Sergio Galvagno1, Giuseppe Pandolfi1
1Laboratory Smart Components and Systems for Sustainable Manufacturing, Department for Sustainability, Division Technologies and Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing Industry, ENEA Research Center, 80055 Portici, Italy.
Fused filament fabrication 3D printing created microstructured hydrophobic surfaces using polylactic acid. These surfaces achieved superhydrophobic properties, demonstrating potential for self-cleaning and anti-wetting applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Developing advanced materials with tailored surface properties is crucial for various technological applications.
- Controlling surface wettability is key for functionalities like self-cleaning, anti-icing, and microfluidics.
- Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) offers a versatile platform for creating complex 3D microstructures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate microstructured hydrophobic surfaces using FFF 3D printing.
- To investigate the effect of different geometric patterns on surface wettability.
- To explore surface functionalization for further enhancing hydrophobic properties.
Main Methods:
- Utilized FFF 3D printing with polylactic acid (PLA) to create microstructured surfaces.
- Developed three geometric patterns: triangular-based prisms (TG), truncated pyramids (TP), and truncated ellipsoidal cones (CET).
- Characterized surface morphology using SEM and evaluated wettability via static water contact angles (WCAs).
- Applied surface functionalization with fluoropolymer-coated SiO2 nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- TG structures achieved superhydrophobic behavior with WCAs up to 164°, a 100% increase over flat PLA.
- TP and CET geometries, with enlarged features, resulted in WCAs up to 128° (56% increase).
- Printer resolution limited the fidelity of sharp CAD features, necessitating adjustments in geometry design.
- Surface functionalization provided an additional 18% enhancement in wettability on structured surfaces.
Conclusions:
- FFF 3D printing is a viable technique for fabricating microstructured surfaces with tunable hydrophobic properties.
- Geometric design plays a critical role in achieving desired wettability, with TG structures showing superior performance.
- Combining microstructuring with surface functionalization offers a pathway to further enhance anti-wetting capabilities.
- These 3D-printed hydrophobic surfaces hold promise for applications in self-cleaning, de-icing, and anti-wetting technologies.
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