Fabrication of Water‐ and Ice‐Repellent Surfaces on Additive‐Manufactured Components Using Laser‐Based Microstructuring Methods

Laser patterning techniques have shown in the last decades to be capable of producing functional surfaces on a large variety of materials. A particular challenge for these techniques is the treatment of additively manufactured parts with high roughness levels. The presented study reports on the surface modification of additive‐manufactured components of Ti64 and Al–Mg–Sc (Scalmalloy), with the aim of implementing water‐ and ice‐repellent properties. Different laser‐based microstructuring techniques, using nanosecond and picosecond pulses, are combined to create multiscale textures with feature sizes between ≈800 nm and 21 μm. The wettability could be set to static water contact angles between 141° and 153° for Ti64 and Al–Mg–Sc, respectively. In addition, surface free energy is analyzed for different surface conditions. Direct laser interference patterning and direct laser writing methods are used to produce multiscale textures on rough additive‐manufactured aluminum and titanium alloys to improve the wetting characteristics and implement ice‐repellent properties. The wettability could be set to water contact angles between 141° and 153° depending on the material and topography characteristics.