Scalable manufacturing of superhydrophobic structures in plastics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427331-B2
Application number	US-201514964295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed are methods of manufacturing a SH surface including: creating a master with SH features by: depositing a rigid material onto a first surface, wherein the first surface is a shrinkable platform; shrinking the first surface by heating to create a SH surface, wherein the SH surface has micro- and nano-scale structural features that trap air pockets and prevent water from wetting the surface; forming the master by molding an epoxy with the shrunken first surface having a SH surface, wherein the master acquires the SH features of the first surface; and imprinting the SH features of the master onto a second surface to impart the SH features of the master onto the second surface. Some embodiments relate to a superhydrophobic (SH) surface, an article including a SH surface as disclosed, such as a microfluidic device or a food container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a superhydrophobic (SH) surface comprising:
creating a master with SH features by:
depositing a rigid material onto a first surface, wherein said rigid material comprises a first layer comprising a first metal and a second layer comprising a second metal, wherein one of the first and second layers is solid calcium, wherein the first surface is a shrinkable platform;
shrinking the first surface by heating to create a SH surface, wherein the SH features comprise micro- and nano-scale structures that trap air pockets and prevent water from wetting the surface;
forming the master by contacting a master material with the shrunken first surface having a SH surface and hardening the master material while in contact with the shrunken first surface, wherein master material solidifies and acquires the SH features of the first surface; and

imprinting the SH features of the master onto a second surface to impart the SH features of the master onto the second surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second layers is gold or silver.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said rigid material comprises a bimetallic layer comprising a layer of silver deposited on the first surface and a layer of solid calcium deposited on the layer of silver.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said rigid material is vapor-deposited onto the first surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master material is selected from the group consisting of nickel, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), ormocer and spurr.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master is formed by electroplating nickel onto the SH surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said imprinting is done by hot embossing of the second surface with the master.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is a polyolefin (PO).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second surface is a hard plastic.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a master is repetitively imprinted onto the second surface at adjacent positions to seamlessly transfer the SH features of the master to the second surface.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SH features of a master are imprinted onto the second surface by roll-to-roll processing.

Assignees

• Univ California
• Vtt Technical Res Centre Of Finland Ltd

Inventors

• Mclane Jolie
• Khine Michelle
• Liedert Ralph

Classifications

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• B29K2995/0074

  patterned, grained · CPC title

• B29C59/04

  using rollers or endless belts · CPC title

• B29K2995/0093

  hydrophobic · CPC title

• B01L2300/0887

  Laminated structure · CPC title