Combinatorial materials research applied to the development of new surface coatings VI: An automated spinning water jet apparatus for the high-throughput characterization of fouling-release marine coatings.
Large numbers of coatings can be generated very quickly using a combinatorial high-throughput approach. Rapid screening assays are typically required to adequately evaluate and down select coating candidates to identify promising compositions. An automated, spinning water jet apparatus was developed to rapidly characterize the adhesion strength of marine organisms to coating surfaces. Coating arrays are cast in multiwell plates and subjected to a jet of water of controlled pressure and duration. Array plates are manipulated by a robotic arm to facilitate accurate and repeatable water jet treatments. Jet pressures of 40-688 kPa can be generated and precisely maintained by computer control. A five axis robotic arm selects plates from three plate stacking hotels yielding a total of 39 plates or 936 individual coating samples for each experimental run. All robotic instructions, process parameters, and data are stored and controlled by the computer. The large plate handling capacity offered by the robotic system enables the analysis of a wide variety of coatings for "fouling-release" properties. A brief example demonstrating the capability of the automated water jet apparatus to evaluate marine bacterial adhesion to coating surfaces is provided.
Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, North Dakota State University, 1805 NDSU Research Park Drive, Fargo, North Dakota 58102, USA. shane.stafslien@ndsu.edu
Shane J
SJ
Stafslien
James A
JA
Bahr
Justin W
JW
Daniels
Lyndsi Vander
LV
Wal
Jonathan
J
Nevins
Jeremy
J
Smith
Kris
K
Schiele
Bret
B
Chisholm
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry*; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012399:Rotation; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D014867:Water