Tue, 15 February, 2022
PhD Student Amarachi Obilor published in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Amarachi Obilor has successfully published her latest research paper in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology.
Her research project is part of the industrial doctorate programme at the National Structural Integrity Research Centre in Cambridge, and she is sponsored by TWI Ltd and Loughborough University.
Dr Andy Wilson, Principal Laser Processing Project Leader at TWI said, "Functional surfaces have almost unlimited potential and applications within nearly all industry sectors. Whether it is for creating surfaces that repel liquids or contaminants, surfaces which have tailored frictional properties, or even surfaces which improve the way an adhesive or organic cell sticks to them; investigating the application of these surface textures via lasers is an expansive field of research."
"This review by Amarachi provides some very crucial foundations for not only establishing the state of the art, but providing guidance and insight into the research gaps which do still exist, for her PhD thesis but also for TWI’s mission to deliver world leading knowledge and expertise to our Member Companies.”
Micro and nanoscale structures produced on surfaces of metals, polymers, ceramics, and glasses have many important applications in different fields such as engineering, medical, biological, etc.
Laser ablation using ultrashort pulses has become the prominent technique for generating different surface structures for various functional applications.
Ultrashort laser ablation proved to be ideal for producing structures with dimensions down to the nanometre scale.
Watch Amarachi's PhD presentation from the NSIRC Research and Innovation Conference 2021...
In comparison to other texturing techniques employed to create micro/nano features such as electrochemical machining, micro-milling, ion-beam etching, hot embossing, lithography, and mechanical texturing, ultrashort laser ablation produces high-quality surfaces at low cost in a one-step non-contact process.
Amarachi says about her latest publication: "This peer reviewed journal paper presents a critical review of previous studies focused on laser surface texturing and laser surface modification of polymers."
"It compares the direct laser writing approach to that of direct laser interreference patterning and provides detailed information on the various functionalities achieved via laser surface texturing."