Hydrophobic material structure based on Cassie-Baxter model

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of material surface modification, and particularly discloses a hydrophobic material structure based on a Cisie-Baxter model, which comprises a plurality of micron-sized regular hexagonal annular structures, a plurality of raised textures are uniformly arranged on the surfaces of the regular hexagonal annular structures, and hydrophobic coatings are applied to the regular hexagonal annular structures and the raised textures; the regular hexagon annular array structure is adopted in the main body, a stable supporting frame is constructed through geometric symmetry arrangement, the air cushion retention effect can be effectively formed through the periodic bordering characteristic of the regular hexagon annular array structure, the solid-liquid contact area is remarkably reduced, the specific inverted-halfpace-shaped micro-texture structure is overlaid on the substrate, and the solid-liquid separation effect is improved. Precise construction of the surface roughness is achieved through gradient morphology regulation and control, the stability of a gas-liquid interface is further enhanced, the surface layer adopts a siloxane compound coating to form a chemical hydrophobic barrier, and dual optimization of contact angle increase and rolling angle reduction is achieved through the synergistic effect of the low surface energy characteristic and a physical structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of material surface modification, specifically relating to a hydrophobic material structure based on the Cassie-Baxter model. Background Technology

[0002] The hydrophobic properties of materials have significant applications in numerous fields, such as waterproof coatings, anti-fouling surfaces, and self-cleaning materials. Traditional hydrophobic materials primarily rely on alterations to the surface chemical composition; however, this approach leads to the depletion of the hydrophobic surface's chemical components, resulting in poor durability, short lifespan, and high costs. In recent years, methods to enhance the hydrophobic properties of materials through microstructural design on the material substrate surface have attracted widespread attention.

[0003] The Cassie-Baxter model provides an important theoretical foundation for understanding the wetting behavior of solid surfaces. This model posits that liquids not only contact the solid surface but also the air around it, forming a complex contact state. This complex contact state can be achieved by designing specific microstructures, thereby significantly improving the hydrophobicity of materials.

[0004] However, existing microstructure designs (such as single micropillar arrays) suffer from limited contact angle enhancement and insufficient mechanical stability. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a hydrophobic material structure based on the Cassie-Baxter model, which optimizes the solid-liquid contact area fraction through multi-level structure and achieves superhydrophobicity by combining the Cassie-Baxter model, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A hydrophobic material structure based on the Cassie-Baxter model includes several micron-sized regular hexagonal ring structures, adjacent regular hexagonal ring structures are adjacent to each other, and several raised textures are uniformly arranged on the surface of the regular hexagonal ring structures. The raised textures are arranged in an inverted trapezoidal shape, and a hydrophobic coating is applied to both the regular hexagonal ring structures and the raised textures.

[0008] Each regular hexagonal unit forms a honeycomb array by edge-to-edge contact, with zero spacing between adjacent units, forming a continuous support frame; the regular hexagonal annular hollow design can trap air to form a stable air cushion layer, reducing the solid-liquid contact area, while the hexagonal symmetrical structure has high compressive strength and can resist external deformation.

[0009] Preferably, the hydrophobic coating is made of a siloxane compound.

[0010] Hydrophobic coatings are prepared by chemical vapor deposition, spin coating, or spray coating processes, which can further reduce the surface energy of materials and enhance their hydrophobic effect.

[0011] The siloxane compound is polydimethylsiloxane, which has low surface energy and good chemical stability. The low surface energy enhances the hydrophobic effect of the material. The PDMS coating is bonded to the substrate through chemical bonds, and its low surface energy further reduces the droplet adhesion force and increases the contact angle in synergy with the physical structure.

[0012] Preferably, the hexagonal ring structure has a height of 30 micrometers, a side length of 30 micrometers, and a thickness of 5 micrometers.

[0013] Preferably, the raised texture has an upper bottom edge length of 4 micrometers, a lower bottom edge length of 2 micrometers, and a vertical height of 20 micrometers.

[0014] Preferably, the raised textures are arranged in a linear array along the edge of the regular hexagonal ring structure, and the spacing between adjacent raised textures is 5 micrometers.

[0015] The structure forms a gradient rough surface, which guides the directional sliding of droplets through geometric asymmetry design. At the same time, its cross-sectional shape, which is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, can enhance the pinning effect of the gas-liquid cross section and inhibit wetting and penetration.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] This invention integrates macroscopic topological configuration and microscopic surface texture, combined with a low surface energy material coating, to form a three-dimensional composite system with significant hydrophobic enhancement effect. The main body adopts a regular hexagonal ring array structure, which constructs a stable support frame through geometric symmetry. Its periodic contact feature can effectively form an air cushion retention effect, significantly reducing the solid-liquid contact area. A specific inverted trapezoidal microtexture structure is superimposed on this substrate, and the surface roughness is precisely constructed through gradient morphology control, further enhancing the stability of the gas-liquid interface. The surface layer adopts a siloxane compound coating to form a chemical hydrophobic barrier. Through the synergistic effect of low surface energy characteristics and physical structure, the dual optimization of contact angle improvement and roll-off angle reduction is achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Among them:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a top view of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the regular hexagonal ring structure of this utility model.

[0022] In the image: 1. Regular hexagonal ring structure; 2. Raised texture. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] Secondly, the term "an embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a single or selective embodiment that excludes other embodiments.

[0026] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 3 As shown:

[0027] Example 1: This example provides a hydrophobic material structure based on the Cassie-Baxter model, including several micron-sized regular hexagonal ring structures 1, adjacent regular hexagonal ring structures 1 are adjacent to each other, and several raised textures 2 are uniformly arranged on the surface of the regular hexagonal ring structure 1. The raised textures 2 are arranged in an inverted trapezoidal shape, and a hydrophobic coating is applied to both the regular hexagonal ring structure 1 and the raised textures 2.

[0028] The side length of a single regular hexagonal unit is 30 micrometers, the annular wall thickness is 5 micrometers, and the vertical height is 30 micrometers;

[0029] The regular hexagonal units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern, with adjacent units directly connected by edge-to-edge, forming a continuous rigid support network;

[0030] The hollow ring design can trap air to form an air cushion layer when the droplet comes into contact, which significantly reduces the solid-liquid contact area. The hexagonal symmetrical structure ensures uniform stress distribution when subjected to external forces, avoiding local collapse.

[0031] The upper base of a single raised texture 2 has a side length of 4 micrometers, the lower base has a side length of 2 micrometers, and a vertical height of 20 micrometers. It is evenly distributed along the top edge surface of the regular hexagonal ring structure 1, with 4-6 inverted trapezoidal structures arranged on each side, and the spacing between adjacent structures is 5 micrometers.

[0032] Specifically, the raised textures 2 are arranged in a linear array along the edge of the regular hexagonal ring structure 1, and the spacing between adjacent raised textures 2 is 5 micrometers.

[0033] The raised texture 2 has a wider upper section and a narrower lower section, forming a gradient rough surface that can enhance the pinning effect at the gas-liquid interface, inhibit wetting and penetration, and the edge asymmetry of the structure can guide the droplets to roll in an directional manner, reducing adhesion.

[0034] Specifically, the hydrophobic coating uses siloxane compounds.

[0035] The chemical coating covering the surface of the structure is a polydimethylsiloxane coating with a thickness of approximately 1 micrometer;

[0036] A regular hexagonal ring array can be prepared by combining photolithography with dry etching process. Alternatively, an inverted trapezoidal shape on the regular hexagonal ring structure 1 can be formed by laser etching using a high-precision 3D printer, ensuring that the structure is precisely arranged along the edge of the regular hexagon and avoiding fluctuations in hydrophobic properties caused by distribution offset.

[0037] This application improves the hydrophobic properties of materials through a special geometric design, making them suitable for applications such as waterproofing, stain resistance, and self-cleaning.

[0038] It is important to note that the constructions and arrangements of this application shown in several different exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, those who consult this disclosure will readily understand that many modifications are possible (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportion of various elements, as well as parameter values ​​(e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), installation arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation, etc.) without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in this application). For example, an element shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be inverted or otherwise altered, and the nature or number or position of discrete elements may be changed or altered. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this utility model. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or rearranged according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any "device plus function" clause is intended to cover the structure performing the function described herein, and not only structural equivalence but also equivalent structure. Without departing from the scope of this invention, other substitutions, modifications, alterations, and omissions may be made in the design, operation, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, but extends to various modifications that still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to provide a concise description of exemplary embodiments, not all features of actual embodiments (i.e., those features that are not relevant to the best mode of carrying out the present invention as currently considered, or those features that are not relevant to implementing the present invention) may be omitted.

[0040] It should be understood that numerous specific implementation decisions can be made during the development of any practical implementation, such as in any engineering or design project. Such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure, the development effort will be a routine task in design, manufacturing, and production without requiring extensive experimentation.

[0041] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solution of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A Cassie-Baxter model-based hydrophobic material structure, characterized by: It includes several micron-sized regular hexagonal ring structures (1), adjacent regular hexagonal ring structures (1) are adjacent to each other, and several raised textures (2) are uniformly arranged on the surface of the regular hexagonal ring structure (1). The raised textures (2) are arranged in an inverted trapezoidal shape, and a hydrophobic coating is applied to both the regular hexagonal ring structure (1) and the raised textures (2).

2. The Cassie-Baxter model based hydrophobic material structure of claim 1, wherein: The hydrophobic coating uses siloxane compounds.

3. The Cassie-Baxter model based hydrophobic material structure of claim 1, wherein: The regular hexagonal ring structure (1) has a height of 30 micrometers, a side length of 30 micrometers, and a thickness of 5 micrometers.

4. The Cassie-Baxter model based hydrophobic material structure of claim 1, wherein: The raised texture (2) has an upper bottom edge length of 4 micrometers, a lower bottom edge length of 2 micrometers, and a vertical height of 20 micrometers.

5. The Cassie-Baxter model based hydrophobic material structure of claim 1, wherein: The raised textures (2) are arranged in a linear array along the edge of the regular hexagonal ring structure (1), and the spacing between adjacent raised textures (2) is 5 micrometers.

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