Engineering Superhydrophobic Behavior in 3D-Printed Stainless Steel Composites
Abstract
This thesis discusses the wettability of 316L stainless steel composites using carbon nanotubes and manufactured via a selective laser melting. Superhydrophobicity is created through the combination of low surface tension and surface roughness at a micro to nanoscopic scale, and it has become a topic of vigorous study over the past 20 years. Previous studies have relied primarily on processes such as etching and nanomaterial arrays to generate surface roughness, followed by the application of harmful chemicals (e.g.,fluorosilanes) to modify surface energy and achieve superhydrophobicity. Stainless steel powder (316L) was combined with carbon nanotubes, which demonstrate near-hydrophobic properties, via high energy ball milling in attempts to reduce the materials surface energy. An ideal pillared surface geometry based on natural superhydrophobicity was produced through additive manufacturing using multiple concentrations of carbon nanotube composites. Through material characterization including sessile water drop contact angle measurements, optical profilometry, and microscopy, it was determined that all samples remained hydrophilic in nature due to insufficient surface energy modification using carbon nanotubes. However, trends indicate that further increasing CNT concentration, controlling printing laser energy density, and slight model modifications could demonstrate hydrophobic effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1184804
Entities
People
- Justin M. Budan
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School