Excellent friction-reducing performance of superhydrophobic steel surface in dry sliding

Abstract

Superhydrophobic micro/nano-engineered steel surfaces with friction-reducing properties were fabricated by the combination of chemical etching and stearic acid coating. The chemical etching technique was used to produce micro/nano-textured steel surfaces, while stearic acid coating was used to lower the surface energies of the textured surfaces. The wetting properties of the micro/nano-engineered steel surfaces were studied using a contact angle measurement system. The frictional properties of the micro/nano-engineered steel surfaces were investigated using a tribotester in ball-on-plate configuration. This study shows that the frictional performances of superhydrophobic micro/nano-textured steel surfaces are significantly improved compared to untreated steel ones.