Abstract

To date, very little work has been published with regard specifically to the use of lasers for modifying the surface properties of materials in order to improve their wettability and adhesion characteristics. Using a 60 W high power diode laser (HPDL) the effects of HPDL radiation on the wettability and adhesion characteristics of certain ceramic materials have been determined. It was found that laser treatment of the materials surfaces’ modified the surface energy and accordingly, wetting experiments, by the sessile drop technique using a variety of test liquids, revealed that laser treatment of the range of ceramic materials surfaces resulted in a decrease in the contact angles. The work shows clearly that laser radiation can be used to alter the wetting and adhesion characteristics of a number of ceramic materials by means of changing the surface energy.