Using Bio-Replicated Forming Technologies to Fabricate Shark-Skin Surface

ABSTRACT Shark-skin surfaces show the non-smoothness characteristics due to the presence of riblet structures. In this work, biomimetic shark-skins were prepared by means of different bio-replicated forming techniques. These techniques include the PDMS elastomeric stamping method (e.g., PES method) and the PDMS embedded-elastomeric stamping method (e.g., PEES method). The study characterized the fabricated biomimetic surfaces through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as 3D microscope. The accuracy of the two replication routes were compared, which included measuring the surface integrity and dimensional parameters ( s, h ) of the riblet-groove structure. The results show that fresh shark-skin without chemical treatments should be used as a replication template whenever possible to attain a satisfactory replication accuracy of the riblet structure. The PES and PEES methods proposed here are effective bio-replicated forming routes in simulating the microstructures of a shark-skin surface. Compared with the PES method, the PEES method has greater precision in simulating the microstructures of a shark-skin surface.