Surface Functionalization for Multi-material Superhydrophobic Surface Based on Laser-Chemical Composite Treatment and Investigation of Anti-icing/De-icing Properties

SUN Yuejia; SHAO Jingji; FU Jiajun; SONG Xinrong; WANG Qinghua

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.10.016

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (10) : 192-207. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.10.016

Surface Functionalization for Multi-material Superhydrophobic Surface Based on Laser-Chemical Composite Treatment and Investigation of Anti-icing/De-icing Properties

SUN Yuejia, SHAO Jingji, FU Jiajun, SONG Xinrong, WANG Qinghua^*

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Abstract

Enhancement of anti-icing/de-icing performance on material surfaces poses critical challenges in fields of aerospace and electric power. Thus, further processing of material surfaces to achieve excellent anti-icing/de-icing properties has become an important research area for materials engineering. Laser processing exhibits high efficiency, high precision and strong controllability. Superhydrophobic surfaces that integrate passive anti-icing and active de-icing capabilities can effectively inhibit ice nucleation and enhance ice-melting efficiency. Hence, the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces via laser processing demonstrates broad application prospects in the anti-icing/de-icing fields. At present, many research works have been carried out on the laser-based surface modification processes for various materials, which could help to achieve superhydrophobic and anti-icing/de-icing properties. However, these research works lack generality in the selection of lasers and post-treatment methods, which makes the selection and optimization of processes more difficult. In addition, these works have shown that the excellent properties of surfaces can only be achieved on single-material. Therefore, it is significant to further expand the application of laser processing for prepared multi-material superhydrophobic surfaces in the anti-icing/de-icing field and clarify the mechanism. In this work, laser-chemical composite treatment was employed to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces on representative metallic material (aluminum alloy) and non-metallic material (zirconia ceramics) as research objects. Simultaneously, their anti-icing and de-icing performance were investigated. Firstly, superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared via a combined laser-chemical composite treatment method, and the surface microstructure and chemical composition were characterized. Nanosecond laser processing technology was employed to fabricate periodic regular hexagonal textures on the surfaces of aluminum alloy and zirconia. Then, when chemical heat treatment was adopted for low surface energy modification, a superhydrophobic surface with multi-scale micro/nano structures was prepared. The minimum contact angle of aluminum alloy and zirconia surfaces for water reached 158.1° and 151.1° respectively, demonstrating excellent superhydrophobic properties. Subsequently, the effects of different combinations of laser processing parameters on surface morphology and surface wettability were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser scanning confocal microscopy, and the optimal process parameters for surface preparation were obtained through parameter optimization. The interaction between high-energy laser beams and materials caused the materials to evaporate, solidify and remelt. Due to its high thermal conductivity and high fluidity, aluminum alloy was more likely to form multi-scale micro/nano structures, with nano-sized particles evenly spread on the micro-sized bumps. Because of the lower thermal conductivity and fluidity, regular hexagonal textures tended to form on zirconia ceramic surfaces. The mechanism of surface chemistry transition during the post-treatment process was analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). Heat treatment promoted the deposition of Si element from silicone oil on the surface to form a silicon film, and the non-polar carbon-containing hydrophobic groups from the solution and atmosphere also deposited on the surface. Thus, the material surfaces exhibited superhydrophobic properties based on the coupling of structure and chemical substances. Anti-icing/de-icing performance tests were carried out on the prepared superhydrophobic surfaces. The research results demonstrate that the optimal ice formation delay time of the functionalized aluminum alloy surface reaches 37 minutes at -10 ℃, which is 63 times that of the untreated surface, while the number of zirconia is 26 minutes and 70 times that of the untreated surface. This is because the heat conduction is weakened by the air layer retained on the superhydrophobic surface, and the near-spherical droplet morphology lengthens the heat transfer distance. Additionally, experiments also show that the prepared superhydrophobic surfaces facilitate de-icing by reducing the proportion of adhesive fracture during the process. To sum up, this research is expected to provide valuable references and insights for the application of anti-icing/de-icing technologies on both metallic and non-metallic materials.

Key words

superhydrophobic / anti-icing/de-icing / laser processing / micro/nano structure

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SUN Yuejia, SHAO Jingji, FU Jiajun, SONG Xinrong, WANG Qinghua. Surface Functionalization for Multi-material Superhydrophobic Surface Based on Laser-Chemical Composite Treatment and Investigation of Anti-icing/De-icing Properties[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(10): 192-207

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (52105175); Zhishan Young Scholar Program of Southeast University (2242024RCB0035); Undergraduate Training Programs for Innovation of Jiangsu Province (S202510286188)