Laser surface texturing (LST) is a non‐contact manufacturing process for fabricating functional surfaces in a manner that improves the corresponding wettability, and is widely used in biomedicine and industry. Laser surface texturing is a facile approach that is compatible with various materials, can result in a hierarchical texture, and enables a high degree of surface wetting (i.e., extreme wetting). In addition to surface structures, surface chemical modification is a primary factor in producing extreme wetting surfaces. This review discusses the effects of various surface textures and surface chemistries on wettability. Optimal laser parameters for the desired surface texture are based on the fundamental wettability and laser mechanism. In particular, bumps in the morphology are conducive to obtaining extreme wetting. Diverse surface chemical strategies result in extreme wetting by different mechanisms. This paper makes a rigorous evaluation of the laser parameters and optimal surface chemical modifications by elucidating the relationships between the surface structure, surface chemical modification, and wettability, and in so doing, determines the final wettability. The unresolved problems of LST are presented in the conclusion. This review provides guidance, development directions, and an integrated framework for LST, which will be useful for fabricating extreme wetting surfaces on various metals.
The surface properties of biomaterials are the key factors for the success of artificial implants in the body. The creation of patterns on titanium alloys by laser surface texturing techniques can modify the surface to make it multifunctional. The evolution of the surface morphology of Ti6Al4V alloy textured by a nanosecond laser with 1064 nm wavelength in the air is studied. Laser surface texturing treatment is performed on the titanium alloy through different pulse numbers, power, pulse width and scan times to obtain different morphologies. The 2D cross‐section profile shows that the morphology can be divided into three types in the evolution process of various pulse numbers, powers and pulse widths: bump‐shaped, hump‐shaped and crater‐shaped. It is found that the effect of pulse width on morphology mainly depends on power. The effects of laser parameters on the height of bumps and the evolution of morphology are the main research points to analyse the topography evolution. The causes of bumps are also analysed. Energy dispersive spectrometer measures the area irradiated by the laser, and it is found that the oxygen content of the bump is up to 43.1%, which can speculate that the bump is the result of the oxidation reaction.
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