Water repellency control of oxygen-free copper surface by diamond-cut micro grooves

Improving water repellency of a metal surface is required in a wide range of industrial applications. In this study, the water repellency control of an oxygenfree copper surface was attempted by generating micro V grooves on the surface by using ultraprecision cutting technology. The results showed that the maximum contact angle of a water drop on a micro Vgrooved surface could be as high as approximately twice that of a flat surface. The contact angle depended strongly on the direction, depth, pitch of the grooves, and burr formation at the edges of the micro grooves. A method for controlling burr formation was proposed.