Preparation of 2024-T351 aluminum alloy super-hydrophobic surface by laser shock/etching

To improve the mechanical properties of the material after laser etching to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces, laser shock peening/laser etching (LSP/LE) combined with modification treatment was used to prepare high-strength aerospace aluminum alloy samples. The contact angle of the prepared superhydrophobic aviation aluminum alloy samples reached 158 degrees, and the sliding angle was 4 degrees. The addition of laser shock peening effectively reduced the grain size of material after laser etching, making the distribution of the second phase more uniform. Furthermore, tensile strength increased by 17.3%, elongation increased by 12.6%, and high-amplitude compressive residual stress was generated inside the material. Through fatigue tests, it was verified that the superhydrophobic aviation aluminum alloy samples prepared by LSP/LE had superior fatigue resistance. Therefore, the addition of laser shock technology improves the mechanical properties of material after the surface preparation of superhydrophobic aluminum alloy, and promotes the application of the superhydrophobic preparation process in aviation field.