title: London University Search Instrument: a combinatorial robot for high-throughput methods in ceramic science.
abstract: This paper describes the design, construction, and operation of the London University Search Instrument (LUSI) which was recently commissioned to create and test combinatorial libraries of ceramic compositions. The instrument uses commercially available powders, milled as necessary to create thick-film libraries by ink-jet printing. Multicomponent mixtures are prepared by well plate reformatting of ceramic inks. The library tiles are robotically loaded into a flatbed furnace and, when fired, transferred to a 2-axis high-resolution measurement table fitted with a hot plate where measurements of, for example, optical or electrical properties can be made. Data are transferred to a dedicated high-performance computer. The possibilities for remote interrogation and search steering are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Julian R G
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C009495:titanium dioxide; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; C028541:zirconium oxide