Indian researchers develop Nano-structured self-cleaning sustainable aluminium surface

A team of Indian researchers have lately developed a Nano-structured self-cleaning sustainable aluminium surface by using a simple and environment-friendly fabrication process. It could have several applications ranging from biomedical to aerospace and automobiles to household appliances, while the process is simply adaptable to industrial-level production.

As aluminium is a light-weight metal and it has multiple industrial applications for which it can be easily cast, machined and shaped. However, atmospheric degradation due to the accumulation of contaminants and humidity crucially restricts its performance and sustainability. Moreover, the leaching of aluminium also gives rise to environmental and health-related issues.

To vanquish these complications, researchers from Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, Department of Mechanical Engineering Dr Harpreet Singh Grewal, Dr Harpreet Singh Arora and Mr Gopinath Perumal and Dr Sajal Kumar Ghosh and Ms Priya Mandal from the Department of Physics have jointly developed the nano-structured aluminium surfaces that reveal immense mechanical, chemical, and thermal durability restricting the corrosion and leaching effects.

A Raman spectrometer obtained through the 'Fund for Improvement of Science & Technology infrastructure' (FIST) project of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has been used to carry out this work.

The team of five researchers have developed a flake-like Nano-structure on an aluminium surface. This is achieved by heating the aluminium sample in water with a temperature maintained at 80 degrees centigrade for an hour, without using any chemical reagents and toxic solvents. The surface obtained by this facile and environment-friendly approach showed a complete wetting nature (the ability of a liquid to spread over a solid surface). A coating of low surface energy hydrocarbon material on it converts it into a surface where a water droplet immediately rolls off the surface. This makes it useful for self-cleaning applications.

Dr Grewal said: "This self-cleaning surface is stable over a wide range of temperature, from -80 to 350 degrees centigrade, improving its corrosion resistance property. It shows 40 times reduction in the corrosion rate when compared to the existing surfaces developed by other processing routes.”

Dr Ghosh explained: “Because of their nanostructured morphology coated with hydrocarbons, these surfaces are capable of reducing bacterial adhesion and growth to a great extent and hence can be used in healthcare and medical devices, including dental implants and heart assistive devices.”