Wettability inversion of aluminum-magnesium alloy surfaces

Abstract

The paper presents the experimental results on the use of low-temperature heating to reduce time of wetting inversion (from superhydrophilicity to hydrophobicity) of aluminum-magnesium alloy surfaces textured by laser radiation. Stable growth of the contact angle to 137.3–144.2° after heating surfaces (wettability properties deteriorate) was recorded. Wetting inversion from superhydrophilicity to hydrophobicity occurs in 2–3 hours of low-temperature heating of textured samples. The wettability inversion time depends on the type of texture. A significant increase in carbon content of elemental composition of the near-surface layer of samples after their low-temperature heating was registered.