Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

D'Urso, Brian R.

Publications and source records attributed to D'Urso, Brian R..

Superhydrophobic anodized metals and method of making same

Methods for producing a superhydrophobic anodized surface including anodizing a surface of a substrate in an anodization acid to form a plurality of pores, etching the surface with an etchant to widen an edge of each of the plurality of pores; repeatedly anodizing the surface in the anodization acid and etching the surface with the etchant until the edges of the plurality of pores overlap to form a plurality of nano-sharp ridges, and coating the surface with a hydrophobic polymer to render the surface superhydrophobic, such that the surface exhibits a contact angle of at least 150 degrees with a drop of water. Articles including a surface having a series of nano-sharp pore ridges defined by a series of pores and a mu m thick layer of a hydrophobic polymer on said surface.

Barbier, Charlotte N.↗

Superhydrophobic, diatomaceous earth comprising bandages and method of making the same

A bandage comprising a substrate having a first surface with a plurality of superhydrophobic particles attached to the first surface. The plurality of superhydrophobic particles can be porous diatomaceous earth particles having a hydrophobic layer conforming to the surfaces of the DE particles, where the hydrophobic layer is bound to the DE particles. The plurality of attached superhydrophobic particles can render the first surface superhydrophobic, while a second surface opposite the first surface can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The substrate can be breathable in order to maintain skin health for the tissue underlying the bandage. The substrate can be selected from porous films, apertured films, textiles, nonwoven materials, impregnated composites thereof, and combinations thereof.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrically isolated, high melting point, metal wire arrays and method of making same

A method of making a wire array includes the step of providing a tube of a sealing material and having an interior surface, and positioning a wire in the tube, the wire having an exterior surface. The tube is heated to soften the tube, and the softened tube is drawn and collapsed by a mild vacuum to bring the interior surface of the tube into contact with the wire to create a coated wire. The coated wires are bundled. The bundled coated wires are heated under vacuum to fuse the tube material coating the wires and create a fused rod with a wire array embedded therein. The fused rod is cut to form a wire array. A wire array is also disclosed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Method of forming composite, ordered material having sharp surface features

A method of making a composite material having sharp surface features includes the steps of: making a composite body comprised of a recessive phase and a protrusive phase, the recessive phase having a higher susceptibility to a preselected etchant than the protrusive phase; and treating a surface of the composite body with the preselected etchant so that the protrusive phase protrudes from the surface to form a sharp surface feature, and the recessive phase defines a recessed surface area between the surface features.

D'Urso, Brian R.↗