Study on the theoretical model of surface hydrophobicity in WEDM processing metal

Abstract The hydrophobic surfaces of metals produced by wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) currently lack a systematic theoretical understanding. This study proposes a theoretical model for predicting hydrophobic performance based on WEDM process parameters, developed through theoretical derivation, simulation, and machine learning. The model establishes a process-parameter-driven prediction mechanism for hydrophobicity, offering a new approach for modeling and controllable design of hydrophobic structures. In this work, micro–nano dual-scale structures were fabricated on the surface of 7075 aluminum alloy to validate the model. The results show that the calculated contact angles fall within the 90% confidence interval, demonstrating excellent predictive accuracy and reliability. This advances the transition from experience-based to theory-driven prediction of hydrophobic surfaces in WEDM, providing theoretical support and engineering guidance for the functional machining of key components across various metal systems.