Let’s examine these concepts more closely and continue to explore with Plasma Academy.

The term “Hydro” at the beginning of the concepts means water in Latin.

We decide whether a surface is hydrophobic or hydrophilic by the angle that water makes to the surface. This angle shows us the structure of the surface. If it pushes, sprays or causes droplet formation due to its structure, it is hydrophobic, and if the contact of the surface with water is high and the water is homogeneously distributed on the surface, it shows that it is hydrophilic. The angle of hydrophilic surfaces is less than 90° and the angle of hydrophobic surfaces is greater than 90°.

Let’s examine the surface interaction in the visual.

Contact Angles of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces

So what does this situation mean to us, does it benefit us whether a surface is hydrophobic or hydrophilic? Let’s explain this question with a few examples that we will encounter in daily life.

Firstly, let’s consider a hydrophobic surface. You have a pair of trousers with a hydrophobic surface and while travelling on the road, you stepped on a loose paving stone under which water had accumulated and water splashed on you, which would ruin your day or cause you to return home again. However, if a fabric with a hydrophobic surface was used, the water would not touch the surface and would fall back to the ground as droplets without leaving any stains.

Of course, the usage areas of hydrophobic surfaces are not only fabrics. Although it has a wide range of uses, the main sectors we will mention are sectors such as automotive, aviation, health and maritime.

Finally, let’s give an example of a hydrophobic surface from nature; the contact angle of the leaves of the lotus flower is 161° and the drops falling on it remain in the form of droplets without disturbing its form. Let’s move on to hydrophilic surfaces with our last example.

Hydrophilic surfaces are the type of surfaces where surface contact is high and the liquid is homogeneously distributed on the surface. If we give an example; Imagine that you are painting with watercolour on glass. The liquid will remain as droplets on the glass. However, if it were a hydrophilic surface, it would distribute the liquid homogeneously like a watercolour notebook.

Both surfaces actually present undesirable situations in some places and in some places.

Therefore, we have to create these surfaces artificially in the production of many tools, goods, products or products we use. At this point, the devices that help us the most are plasma devices. There are two most common types of plasma devices. These are atmospheric plasma and cold plasma.

Our atmospheric plasma device is used to create hydrophilic surfaces. To give an example, when atmospheric plasma is applied to the surface of a car body to be painted, the paint is homogeneously distributed on the surface, providing both a perfect appearance and better protecting the surface against oxidation and corrosion. Because the paint spreads over the entire surface and affects every point.

Since we have given one of the hundreds of examples we will give for hydrophilic surface, we will see you in the next article of Plasma Academy.

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