Laser-enabled treatments for surface functionalisation: from design to industrial applications

Karkantonis, Themistoklis ORCID: 0000-0003-0578-2163 (2023). Laser-enabled treatments for surface functionalisation: from design to industrial applications. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

Preview

Karkantonis2023PhD.pdf
Text
Available under License All rights reserved.
Download (8MB) | Preview

Abstract

Plastic materials have become a ubiquitous part of our economy, and as a result their improper disposal can pose high risks to the ecosystem. Although recycling can help to mitigate plastic waste, the sustainable management of unclean/contaminated ones due to fouling is still a challenge. Lubricant-Impregnated Surfaces (LIS) have gained much attention recently because of their excellent anti-adhesive performance against various liquids. Compared to other surface modification techniques that are capable of producing such bio-inspired surfaces, Laser-based Micro-Machining (LMM) offers attractive benefits especially when considering its flexibility, reliability and selectivity. However, intrinsic shortcomings of this technology with respect to high-throughput, cost-effectiveness and 3D processing hamper its broader application at an industrial scale. Therefore, the research reported in this thesis aims to address these key limitations and thus to enable the industrial uptake of LMM for functionalising surfaces. In particular, a cost-effective process chain, which combines LMM and polymer micro/nano replication technologies, is proposed to fabricate polymer-based surfaces with long-lasting multifunctional responses. Such functional surfaces were achieved by lubricant impregnation of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS), and their suitability for food packaging and optical lens was investigated. Thereafter, an alternative laser surface treatment was demonstrated to generate highly regular and uniform LIPSS by utilising cost-effective nanosecond pulsed lasers, and thus to reduce even further the manufacturing costs in producing polymer replicas with such textured topographies. Lastly, a generic method for assessing the capabilities and limitations of simultaneous multi-axis laser strategies for processing complex 3D parts/replication masters is presented and validated for a given multi-axis LMM system.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):