Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Ultra-Fine Brass Wire by Laser Processing

Superhydrophobic metal wires have shown great application prospects in oil-water separation, anti-corrosion, anti-icing, and other fields due to their excellent water repellency. However, how to fabricate a superhydrophobic surface on ultra-fine metal wire remains a challenge. Here, we proposed a method using laser processing to efficiently fabricate superhydrophobic ultra-fine brass wire. Firstly, we analyzed the mechanism of the laser processing of curved surfaces and designed a controllable angle rotation fixture to avoid the machining error caused by secondary positioning in the machining process. Then, we investigated the influences of the laser power, scanning speed, and scanning times on the surface morphology and wettability of the ultra-fine brass wire. The optimal laser processing parameters were obtained: laser power of 6 W, scanning speed of 500 mm/s, and scanning time of 1. After low surface energy modification, the water contact angle and surface roughness <i>S</i>a of the ultra-fine brass wire were 156° and 1.107 μm, respectively. This work is expected to enrich the theory and technology for fabricating superhydrophobic ultra-fine brass wire.