This study develops an alternative method for enhancing superhydrophobicity on aluminum surfaces with an amphiphilic reagent such as the dodecanoic acid. The goal is to induce superhydrophobicity directly through a simple process on pure (99.9 wt%) commercial aluminum. The initial surface activation leading to the formation of the superhydrophobic coating is studied using confocal microscopy. Superhydrophobic behavior is analyzed by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The highest contact angle (approaching 153) was obtained after forming hierarchical structures with a particular roughness obtained by grinding and polishing microgrooves on the aluminum surface together with the simultaneous action of HC1 and dodecanoic acid. The results also showed that after immersion in the ethanol-acidic-fatty acid solutions, they reacted chemically through the action of the fatty acid, on the aluminum surface. The mechanism is analyzed by TOF-SIMS and XPS in order to determine the molecules involved in the reaction. The TOF-SIMS analysis revealed that the metal and its oxides seem to be necessary, and that free-aluminum is anchored to the fatty acid molecules and to the alumina molecules present in the medium. Consequently, both metallic aluminum and aluminum oxides are necessary in order to form the compound responsible for superhydrophobicity. 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.