Preliminary study on the design of superhydrophobic surface by 3D inkjet printing of a sol-gel solution

In this study a novel and straightforward 3D printing method based on inkjet printing process for the design of superhydrophobic surfaces was investigated. In particular, a novel sol-gel solution was designed and used with a modified 3D printing approach based on micro-solenoid inkjet printing. The study focuses on the impact of roughness and chemical composition - both crucial factors in achieving superhydrophobic properties - by measuring the contact. In addition, tilt angle of water droplets on different coating were determined. It is believed that the simple new inkjet printing method presented here can expand the application of the superhydrophobic high and low adhesive surface on different substrates for application in many industrial fields. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]