Evolution of Superhydrophilic Aluminum Alloy Properties in Contact with Water during Cyclic Variation in Temperature

Abstract

Hydrophilic or superhydrophilic materials in some cases are considered to be potentially icephobic due to a low ice-adhesion strength to such materials. Here, the evolution of the properties of a superhydrophilic aluminum alloy with hierarchical roughness, fabricated by laser processing, was studied in contact with water during prolonged cyclic variation in temperature. It was shown that the chemical interaction of rough alumina with water molecules caused the substitution of the surface oxide by polymorphic crystalline gibbsite or bayerite phases while preserving hierarchical roughness. Due to such substitution, mechanical durability was notably compromised. Thus, in contrast to the superhydrophobic laser-processed samples, the superhydrophilic samples targeted on the exploitation in an open atmosphere as a material with anti-icing properties cannot be considered as the industrially attractive way to combat icing.