This paper presents the experimental results of hydrophobic surfaces developed using a stereolithography-based additive-manufacturing technique. The additive manufacturing technique can be used to manufacture objects with complex geometries from compu...
This paper presents the experimental results of hydrophobic surfaces developed using a stereolithography-based additive-manufacturing technique. The additive manufacturing technique can be used to manufacture objects with complex geometries from computer-aided design data. Several additive manufacturing methods, such as selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, stereolithography apparatus (SLA), and inkjet-based system, have been developed. The SLA is a form of three-dimensional printing technology used to create prototypes, patterns, and production parts in successive layers through photochemical processes. Light causes chemical monomers and oligomers to cross-link together to form objects composed of polymers. Moreover, this method is economical for fabricating surfaces with high output resolution and quality. Here, we fabricate various surfaces using different shapes using an SLA. The surfaces with micro-patterns are fabricated for 10 cases, including the biomimetic surface. The fabricated surfaces with various micro-patterns are evaluated for hydrophobicity performance based on the static contact angle. The contact angle is measured three times for each case, and the averaged value is used. The results indicate that the arrangements in a staggered structure have a larger contact angle than those in a line when the same micro-pattern is applied. Moreover, the mimetic surfaces exhibit more hydrophobic characteristics than those of artificial micro-patterns.