Self-cleaning plasma sprayed TiO2 coatings modified by laser surface texturing process

In this study, the effect of the laser surface texturing process on TiO2 coating surfaces for the creation of a self-cleaning surface was investigated. TiO2 coating deposition was performed on a steel substrate via plasma spraying prior to laser texturing. A picosecond laser system was used to create a structured micro dimpled texture on the TiO2 surface. The surface morphology of the resultant TiO2 coating consisted of fully and partially melted structures, which flattened and solidified on the substrates with observed rutile phases. The laser texturing process changed the TiO2 coating wettability properties from hydrophilic to super hydrophilic. Besides, finding also demonstrates that laser surface texturing enhances the antibacterial properties of TiO2 coatings. Overall, laser surface texturing increased the surface areas of the coatings and improved the effectiveness of TiO2 as an antibacterial agent. These results prove that laser surface texturing is an effective method for producing selfcleaning TiO2 surfaces and can be applied to various industries.