Laser Blasted Metal Forms Non-Stick Surface

Researchers at the University of Rochester have found a more effective way to reduce water's ability to "stick" on metals. Dr. Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics and physics at the University, uses lasers to make metals more non-stick. Traditionally, Teflon is used to make a surface a 'non-stick surface', but it has its drawbacks. When Teflon is heated, it starts to decompose and detach from its metal surface; this not only has health-related implications but also performance repercussions. But with Guo's research, the use of Teflon can be eliminated. Guo and his partners shine a high-intensity laser beam onto a sheet of metal for a femtosecond. The energy it produces is about the same as the entire power grid of North America for the same amount of time and the tremendous amount of heat and energy dramatically alters the structure of the metal. Under a high-powered microscope, the altered metals have a hierarchic structure that repel water very well. In comparison to Teflon, which requires 70 degrees of tilt to allow a droplet of water to slide off, Guo's metal only requires 5. The water-repellent structure is intrinsic to the new metal surface, meaning the scientists do need ever worry about a coating sliding off. Guo and his partners hope to see their new innovation go beyond making better scrambled eggs to ensuring ice does not form on the wings of an aircraft to providing faster ships. Guo still has a long way to go before the metal can be mass produce, it takes nearly an hour of laser blasting to make a 1x1 inch piece of hydrophobic metal.