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One-Step Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Wettability Gradient Using Three-Dimensional Printing

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Abstract

Polymer surfaces with wettability gradient were fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to control the velocity of droplets on the surfaces. A microscale pattern of a semicircular casting mold was created layer-by-layer using a 3D printer based on fused deposition modeling. A surface with a wettability gradient was fabricated by replicating the semicircular mold with a continuously varying surface slope. Water contact angle measurements and droplet test results demonstrated the characterization of the wettability gradient. Droplets were released on a gradient surface inclined at 80°, and their movements were controlled; the locations of the droplets after collision on the ground were tracked. The distance of the main drop and splash drop was found to be reduced by 96.7% (from 6.1 to 0.2 cm) and 87.8% (from 18.8 to 2.3 cm), respectively, compared to that on a general superhydrophobic surface. This study demonstrates a simple, rapid, and inexpensive microfabrication method for functional polymer surfaces to control droplet movement using 3D printing technology.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. NRF-2020R1A4A1019074).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, South Korea

    Jaebum Sung, Hoo Min Lee, Gil Ho Yoon & Hongyun So

  2. Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, South Korea

    Sungchul Bae

  3. Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, South Korea

    Hongyun So

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Sung, J., Lee, H.M., Yoon, G.H. et al. One-Step Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Wettability Gradient Using Three-Dimensional Printing. Int. J. of Precis. Eng. and Manuf.-Green Tech. 10, 85–96 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40684-022-00418-y

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