Fabrication of superhydrophobic surface on aluminum alloy 6061 by a facile and effective anodic oxidation method

The superhydrophobic surface was successfully prepared on aluminum alloy 6061 by anodization and lauric acid modification. The reaction was carried out for 1 h in a 0.3 M H3PO4 electrolyte at a voltage of 60 V to construct a honeycomb pore-needle microstructure with a water contact angle (WCA) up to around 160° and a sliding angle (SA) less than 2°. The chemical composition of superhydrophobic surface was characterized by energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR). And the result indicated that lauric acid was successfully combined on the surface of the oxide layer. Besides, the superhydrophobic surface exhibited good anti-icing property, and the reason for its delayed icing time was given from the Cassie equation and the classic nucleation theory. Moreover, the superhydrophobic surface exhibited low adhesion, excellent self-cleaning function, good thermal stability, mechanical stability and corrosion resistance.