November/December AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 1 3 SURFACE ENGINEERING SUPERHYDROPHOBIC PROCESS DEBUTS Researchers from Purdue Univer- sity, West Lafayette, Ind., developed a new manufacturing process that could improve the water repellency for some common products, ranging fromvehicle engines andwindshields to medical equipment and sensors. Yung Shin, profes- sor of mechanical engi- neering, and his team developed a method to create superhydropho- bic microchannels on polymers. This technol- ogy provides a quick and inexpensive fabrication technique to create mi- crofluidic devices having channels with controllable flow rates without the use of chemical treatments or complex flow-control devices. Shin’s team uses a two-step process to create the superhydrophobic surfaces. First, they inscribe patterns or features on a metal surface with an ultrafast laser. Then, using transfer molding, the re- searchers create that same pattern on the polymer. The team says the technology has many potential applications, including medical equipment and sen- sors that use circulating fluid to detect abnormalities or unhealthy conditions in a patient. It could also be used for mi- cro cooling systems for electronics, mi- crofluidic devices, MEMS, self-cleaning surfaces, and micro hydraulics systems in airplanes and automobiles. The technology could help create wind- shields that are better able to repel water and require less wiping. A pat- ent has been secured for the technol- ogy and it is available for licensing. purdue.edu . A superhydrophobic surface is first created on a metal surface by an ultrafast laser. Courtesy of Purdue.