Fabrication of Coupling Structure and Composite Properties by Electro-brush Plating and Laser Processing

To obtain a superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface, a kind of special coupling structure was fabricated on the aluminum alloy surface by a couple ways which was electro-brush plating combined with laser processing. The surface has excellent anti-adhesion and corrosion resistance property. The contact angle can reach as high as 155.1°, while the sliding angle less than 5.6°. The morphological feature, chemical structures, and wettability of resultant surfaces were characterized by scanning electronic microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and water contact angle measurements. The surface corrosion resistance was researched by a corrosion resistance experiment. The results show that surface consists of micro-scale grooves and like-cauliflower mastoids, the grooves in a regular arrangement with mastoid structures for a coupling structure on the surface. The special coupling structure makes the surface already have superhydrophobicity. The wettability of the surface changes from hydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. There have no peaks from other phases can be detected between electro-brush plating surface and aluminum alloy substrates. The peak intensity is changed by laser processing, and the organization structure of the material is further refined. The corrosion resistance of the surface that is fabricated by couple ways improves.