Abstract
We analyze the role of surrounding gas and aging in ambient air in the wettability behavior of laser-processed stainless steel meshes. Laser texturing of meshes was carried out in the presence of different gases (N2, O2, CO2, Ar, and SF6) in ambient atmospheric air and under different vacuum conditions. The influence of each gas on the evolution of the wettability properties after aging in ambient air is analyzed. The effects of low-pressure and vacuum aging allowed transforming the initial superhydrophilic characteristics of the laser-structured meshes to an almost superhydrophobic state.
Highlights
The wettability of a material’s surface is an important property that plays a crucial role in a wide range of surface-related phenomena and defines different ranges of applications
Our studies have revealed the role of different gas environments during laser surface structuring followed by air aging
We have demonstrated the formation of two types of structures when the accumulated laser fluence was varied by changing the scanning speed
Summary
The wettability of a material’s surface is an important property that plays a crucial role in a wide range of surface-related phenomena and defines different ranges of applications. In the case of stainless steel, the industrial applications are countless and can be enhanced by controlling its surface properties. The surface properties of steel, such as color, chemical stability, roughness, and wettability, have received special attention in biomedicine, optics, and surface chemistry.. Different strategies have been proposed to tune the wetting behavior of metal surfaces. Most of them require the use of coatings with suitable materials or plasma/chemical etching. Controlling the extreme wetting properties of materials by laser texturing of the surface of the substrate has gained much attention because it is a maskless, chemical free, facile, and robust technique.
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