Stretching-Controlled Micromolding Process with Etched Metal Surfaces as Templates Towards Mass-Producing Superhydrophobic Polymer Films

A novel technique is described that uses stretching-controlled thermal micromolding with etched metal surfaces as templates for the mass-production of superhydrophobic polymer films. First, the metal surface is etched and then used as a template to thermally replica-mold the polymer (e. g., polyethylene). The resulting film surfaces exhibited stable superhydrophobicity with water contact angles >150 degrees and sliding angles approximate to 7 degrees. SEM imaging demonstrates that the microstructure on the superhydrophobic surface is formed by stretching from the microholes of the template during separation. This technique can be easily combined with melt-flow casting for manufacturing superhydrophobic polymer surfaces on a large scale.