Based on the lotus leaf effect, the fraunhofer institute for materials and beam technology (IWS) has developed a laser material processing method known as direct laser interferometry (DLIP).
The technique USES special optical devices to split a single laser pointer beam into several splitter beams that are reassembled on the surface of the metal to be processed. The technique allows for precisely controlled patterns of light. If the interference pattern were focused on a titanium alloy plate, the high-energy laser would melt and ablate the material in the bright areas, while ensuring that the material in the dark areas would not be affected.
Team through the observation, found that these patterns as the pillar or a corrugated iron roof of the hall, the distance between the pillars can be set to 150 nm ~ 30 microns, able to form a surface water droplets could not find enough grip, cause water roll or slide, difficult to form film, similar to the effect of lotus leaf in nature.
Compared with other super hydrophobic technologies, this technology is characterized by better durability, less aging, and environmental friendliness, which can reduce or even prevent any pollution on the surface of aircraft, and has a good application prospect in anti-pollution of aircraft surface