Surface Wettability Control Without Knowledge of Surface Topography and Chemistry—A Versatile Approach
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper introduces a versatile approach to achieve specific surface functionality with-out the need for detailed knowledge of surface topography. This is accomplished for applications targeting wettability properties by integrating contact angle measurement into a micromachining setup with a nanosecond pulsed UV laser, allowing for fully automated programs to find optimal functionalization without requiring knowledge on the topography or on possible laser-induced chemical changes itself. This study investigates the impact of various processing parameters, including laser pulse energy, scanning speed, hatching distance, jump speed, and laser repetition rate, on the wetting properties of two widely used polymers: polyethylene (PE) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). A design of experiment (DOE) approach is used for experimental design and subsequent modeling. Finally, the effectiveness of this new approach is evaluated and compared with conventional methods.
Source: Photonics
Authors: Alexander Wienke, Shefna Shareef, Jürgen Koch, Peter Jäschke, Stefan Kaierle
Institutions: Laser Zentrum Hannover, Leibniz University Hannover
Language: English
Subfield: Computational Mechanics
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W4415560271