Superhydrophobic polymer fabrication
View Patent ↗A superhydrophobic polymer fabrication is provided. According to one method for preparing a superhydrophobic polymer fabrication, the superhydrophobic polymer fabrication can be fabricated quickly and easily, and the superhydrophobic surface can be repeatedly imprinted using a template, so that mass production of the superhydrophobic polymer fabrication over a large area can be economically implemented.
1. A method of preparing a superhydrophobic polymer fabrication, comprising:
forming a micron-sized terrace structure on a surface of a template and a nano-sized groove structure within the terrace structure by chemical etching, wherein the micron-sized terrace structure comprises irregularly distributed fragments;
applying heat and pressure to a polymer placed on the etched template to replicate a polymer fabrication from the etched template; and
removing the replicated polymer fabrication from the template.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the micron-sized terrace structure and the nano-sized fiber structure within the terrace structure are formed on a surface of the polymer fabrication.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical etching comprises using an etchant of at least one solution selected from the group consisting of HNO 3 , H 3 PO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , H 2 CrO 4 , HCl, HF, NH 4 OH, NaOH and KOH.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical etching is performed at a temperature ranging from 0° C. to 100° C.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical etching is performed for a time ranging from 1 second to 10 minutes.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replicated polymer fabrication comprises a surface with a static contact angle of about 150° or more.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the template is metal.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying heat and pressure to a second polymer contacting the template to replicate a second polymer fabrication.
9. A method of preparing a superhydrophobic polymer fabrication, comprising:
providing a template comprising a micron-sized terrace structure and nano-sized groove structures within the micron-sized terrace structure, wherein the micron-sized terrace structure comprises irregularly distributed fragments, and wherein the template is formed by chemical etching; and
applying heat and pressure to a polymer contacting the template to form the polymer fabrication, wherein the polymer fabrication comprises a surface with a static contact angle of about 150° or more.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the chemical etching comprises using an etchant of at least one solution selected from the group consisting of HNO 3 , H 3 PO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , H 2 CrO 4 , HCl, HF, NH 4 OH, NaOH and KOH.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the chemical etching is performed at a temperature ranging from 0° C. to 100° C.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the chemical etching is performed for a time ranging from 1 second to 10 minutes.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the template is metal.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metal is aluminum.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying heat and pressure to a second polymer contacting the template to replicate a second polymer fabrication, wherein the second polymer fabrication comprises a second surface with a static contact angle of about 150° or more.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method does not include photolithography.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the template is not a plate shape.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the template is cylindrically shaped.