Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Xin Zhao
Committee Member
Dr. Zhen Li
Committee Member
Dr. Joshua Bostwick
Abstract
Wettability is a crucial surface property influencing various phenomena, including heat transfer, cell adhesion, and corrosion. Engineering devices can achieve superior performance by precisely manipulating surface wettability. As a result, extensive research has focused on developing surfaces that exhibit either extreme water attraction (superhydrophilic) or strong water repellency (superhydrophobic). Tailoring surface wettability paves the way for numerous applications, such as drag reduction in marine vessels, controlled drug delivery, efficient water collection, advanced liquid transport systems, oil-water separation, anti-corrosion coatings, friction reduction, and self-cleaning materials. Ultrafast laser surface structuring is a promising approach for engineering multifunctional surfaces, effectively modifying material properties such as wettability, optical behavior and tribological properties. Despite significant advancements in the study of wettability modification using ultrafast lasers, the underlying mechanisms driving laser-induced wettability changes remain inadequately understood. The intricate relationship between laser processing parameters, surface morphology, and surface chemistry has not been comprehensively explored. Furthermore, the long-term stability of wettability after laser processing, commonly referred to as aging effects, remains poorly understood. This study explores the wettability control of copper surfaces using femtosecond lasers. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to examine how different femtosecond laser parameters influence surface morphology, surface roughness, and surface chemistry, thereby affecting both immediate and long-term wettability. The experimental study assesses wettability control by measuring the contact angle immediately after laser irradiation and ten days post-processing. Surface morphology is analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while roughness variations and chemical composition changes are examined using confocal microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The impacts of surface morphology and surface chemistry on wettability control are analyzed. This research aims to advance the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms governing surface wettability modification of copper using femtosecond lasers, addressing existing knowledge gaps in previous studies. Through this comprehensive investigation, the study highlights the potential of femtosecond laser processing for wettability control, thereby making a significant contribution to laser-based surface engineering.
Recommended Citation
Nagvenkar, Akshay Arvind, "Ultrafast Laser Surface Structuring for Wettability Control On Copper" (2025). All Theses. 4450.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4450
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