Preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces on Al substrates and the anti-icing behavior

A low-cost and simple methodology is successfully developed for preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces on Al alloys. By the selection of an optimal concentration of the etching solution, a relatively large contact angle of 160° and a small roll angle small to 4° can be achieved. Such superhydrophobic surfaces also exhibit the remarkable anti-icing characteristics. In particular, the icing time on the surfaces can be delayed considerably. Therefore our study suggests that the present methodology and the prepared superhydrophobic surfaces could be applied in various engineering fields.