| This thesis is concerned with the effect of mechanical wear on superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS). This work, for the first time, systematically details the simultaneous surface topography and wetting behavior changes upon abrasion of SHS. The process of physical abrasion was also simulated on the artificial terrains. An intrinsically hydrophobic polymer (PTFE) was plasma etched to fabricate SHS, as wear would solely change surface topography and avoid chemical complications. Wetting behavior was monitored using advancing and receding contact angles (CA). Confocal scanning microscopy (CSM) was used to monitor topography quantitatively using surface topographical descriptors.;In initial stages of wear receding and advancing CA, remained largely unchanged. Excessive wear resulted in a large increase in CA hysteresis and lowering of the advancing CA. Wetting behavior was correlated with topographical descriptors. Trends in RMS roughness, Skewness and Kurtosis can act as guiding factors towards predicting CA hysteresis on the surface. Main finding was that the physical abrasion can be simulated computationally on analogous artificial terrains. |
