Capillary performance of vertically grooved wicks on laser-processed aluminum surfaces with different wettability

Abstract Ultra-thin heat pipes have been employed extensively for the thermal management of electronic devices. Their capacity for heat transfer is significantly influenced by the capillary performance of the wicking structure in the pipes. In this study, superhydrophilic (SHPi) and superhydrophobic (SHPo) background surfaces were prepared on aluminum sheets using a nanosecond fiber laser. SHPi grooves with widths ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 mm were then produced on the surfaces with the same laser. The effects of the background wettability on the capillary performance of the grooves were investigated. The fastest ascent of the water in the grooves on the SHPo background surface occurred when the groove widths were between 0.1 and 0.2 mm. As the groove width increased to 0.3–0.4 mm, the water level rose most quickly in the groove on the SHPi surface. Furthermore, water absorption was always larger on the SHPi background surface for grooves of the same width as on the other two surfaces. As a result, a wettable background surface that matches the application requirements should be selected. The SHPo background surface should be used when a rapid water rise in the groove is desired. The SHPi background surface, on the other hand, increases water absorption capacity. Water absorption achieved a maximum of 6.8 mg with a groove width of 0.4 mm, and capillary performance parameters reached 4.62 × 10 –7 N, which was 117.9% higher than the pristine background surface. This study presents fresh suggestions for increasing the capillary performance of vertically grooved wicks.