Investigation of Wettability of Zirconia by Nanosecond Laser Treatment*

This paper presents an investigation of wettability of zirconia by nanosecond laser treatment. Laser treatment of zirconia has been carried out for investigating the surface wettability with different processing parameters. Morphological and metallurgical modifications are examined in the laser treated layer by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The contact angle (CA) and surface roughness also have been measured. It is found that the micro pits and cracks is produced, and the melt of material is splashed on the surface of untreated surface, forming irregular bumps during laser processing, the surface morphology become more complex than the expected surface structure. The dependency of water contact angle of surface by laser treated with time is attributed to the modification of surface chemical composition, especially the change of carbon content and oxygen content. Surface roughness is a factor affecting the stable contact angle.