Abstract
The authors have tried to improve the functions of photocatalytic surface by introducing the microcutting textures and confirmed an improvement in the hydrophilicity, which is one of the photocatalytic functions, due to the increase in the real surface area. In this report, vibration assisted scratching is performed to fabricate more complicated surface microtexture. At first, a modeling wax is scratched by a sharply pointed triangular diamond tip vibrated by a fast tool servo system with μm order amplitude in order to evaluate the scratch groove shape. Then, a pure Ti specimen is scratched in the similar manner using remarkably small feed. The hydrophilicity on the fabricated TiO_2 surface with microtexture is evaluated after the anodic oxidation. As a result, it is confirmed that the microtextured TiO_2 film has a larger real surface area, which is advantageous to activate the photocatalytic reaction, and also clarified that the wettability of the microtextured TiO_2 film is superior to that of the mirror finished one when the ultraviolet rays are irradiated.
