Experimental and simulation study on wettability of superhydrophobic structure prepared by WEDM on the surface of 6061 aluminum alloy

Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is used to machine the metal substrate precisely, improve the wettability of the substrate surface, and prepare the advanced metal superhydrophobic surface. In this study, WEDM created a superhydrophobic microstructure on the surface of 6061 aluminum alloy. The prediction accuracy of the contact angle for the concave-convex composite structure was 97.26% through the coupling simulation of multiple physical fields and wetting theory modeling. Based on response surface methodology, the optimal discharge parameters are determined: processing voltage, 80 V; discharge current, 16 A; pulse width, 32 μs; pulse interval ratio, 1:7; and contact angle, 128.2°. The simulation model of the square column microarray structure obtained by wire cutting is established, and the adjustment law of column width and column spacing of the docking antenna is expounded through experimental verification. The contact angle decreases with the increase of column width and column spacing. This study provides a theoretical basis for the controllable manufacturing of metal microstructures and the accurate prediction of wetting characteristics, promoting metal.