aluminum: 3
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Development of Innovative Anodized Aluminum and Their Functions
When the surface changes, everything changes.
We will introduce our research on the development of superior properties and new functions of aluminum by innovation of anodizing, which is an extremely well-known corrosion-resistant passive coating for aluminum.
Research
Anodic oxide film is an artificial passive film formed on the surface of aluminum, and was developed in Japan about 100 years ago. There are many anodized aluminum products around us, but our research group is reviewing the chemical substances and formation methods (anodic oxidation) used to form anodized aluminum surfaces from the ground up, and we try to develop a new anodizing method that exhibits superior properties and innovative functions. Specifically, we are developing anodized aluminum with highly ordered nanostructures, hard anodized aluminum with a Vickers hardness of Hv = 600 or higher, anodized aluminum with high corrosion resistance in acid, base, and chloride environments, and anodized aluminum that shines beautifully by producing luminescence and structural colors.
Tatsuya Kikuchi Professor -
Fabrication of High-speed Superhydrophilic Surfaces and Sliding-controlled Superhydrophobic and Superoleophobic Surfaces
Both water and oil can soak well into the surface, slide off it easily, and stick to it properly
We will show you how to create superhydrophilic surfaces that can rapidly be wetted and covered in water, and superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces that repel water/oil very well although their sliding behavior can easily be controlled to allow water/oil to be adsorbed on the surface or easily slide off.
Research
Anodizing is a technique used to form oxides with various nanostructures on the surface of metals. We have developed a method to form a large amount of nanofiber oxides with a diameter of sub-10 nm (10 nm or less) by anodizing using a novel electrolyte chemical species. The density of nanofiber formation is extremely high, in the order of 1010 nanofibers (10 billion nanofibers) per cm2. We have found that the metal surface formed with such high-density nanofibers exhibits fast superhydrophilicity of one second or less, as well as superhydrophobicity and superoleophobicity with controlled sliding behavior. It is also possible to mix surfaces with different wettability by using micropatterning techniques.
Tatsuya Kikuchi Professor -
Superomniphobic Aluminum
Simple production of antifouling surfaces through a wet process
We have successfully fabricated a micro/nano-hierarchical surface morphology through chemical etching/anodization of aluminum sheets and meshes. By coating the surface with a fluoroalkyl monolayer, we have also succeeded in obtaining a surface that is not wetted by almost any liquids, including oil.
Research
It is expected that superomniphobic surfaces, which do not get wet with water or oil, will possess antifouling and self-cleaning properties. In this study, we have realized a superomniphobic surface that does not only repel water but also octane and other liquids with a surface tension as low as 20 mN m-1, by using a simple wet process for aluminum, which is a practical metal material. This process can also be applied to aluminum foil, which can be used as an antifouling surface in various places. It can also be used as a filter to separate oil and water by controlling its wettability using aluminum mesh.
Hiroki Habazaki Professor
