Interreg

Previous work in the Interreg-funded project “Laser Manufacturing Technology” has identified and established that surface modifications have a special side effect that can be seen as very small wave and hole structures in the nanometre range, which remain permanently on the surface and have an extreme influence on the surface properties.
Reduced friction (shark skin) in liquid and gas flows, minimal reflection (moth eye) or water-repellent effects (lotus leaf) are three of the best known examples of how nature (plant and animal world) has used such nanostructures for millions of years. In many technological applications, there is great interest in the technological modification or use of such natural features. Using ultra-short pulse laser technology, a very interesting tool is available for this purpose. By varying the laser parameters (fluence, beam formation, beam superposition, etc.), a previously “neutral” untreated surface can then either strongly repel water (hydrophobic) or melt into a uniform film (hydrophilic).
On the one hand, the hydrophobic effects influence the adhesion capacity of micro-organisms and viruses, which are usually present in such media. On the other hand, the hydrophobic conditions reduce the potential residence and survival time of biological contaminants. This is because the adhesion possibilities are limited. This results in dehydration and flushing effects.
The method can be applied to a wide variety of materials and raw materials without the need for an additive/topcoat. This makes the project idea fundamentally different from the INTERREG projects “Substainable Surfaces & Membranes (S2M)” and “MOVERO”, where coatings or coverings based on plastics/films are produced and used.