3109results about "Fouling prevention" patented technology

Disclosed herein is an article that includes a first plurality of spaced features. The spaced features are arranged in a plurality of groupings; the groupings of features include repeat units; the spaced features within a grouping are spaced apart at an average distance of about 1 nanometer to about 500 micrometers; each feature having a surface that is substantially parallel to a surface on a neighboring feature; each feature being separated from its neighboring feature; the groupings of features being arranged with respect to one another so as to define a tortuous pathway. The plurality of spaced features provide the article with an engineered roughness index of about 5 to about 20.

An article has a surface topography for resisting bioadhesion of organisms and includes a base article having a surface. A composition of the surface includes a polymer. The surface has a topography comprising a pattern defined by a plurality of spaced apart features attached to or projected into the base article. The plurality of features each have at least one microscale dimension and at least one neighboring feature having a substantially different geometry. An average feature spacing between adjacent ones of the features is between 10 μm and 100 μm in at least a portion of the surface. The surface topography can be numerically represented using at least one sinusoidal function. In one embodiment, the surface can comprise a coating layer disposed on the base article.

A system includes a UV light source and an optical medium coupled to receive UV light from the UV light source. The optical medium is configured to emit UV light proximate to a surface to be protected from biofouling. A method corresponds to the system.

A self-cleaning or lotus-effect surface that has antimicrobial properties, commercial products comprising such a surface, and uses thereof. A process for the production of an antimicrobial self-cleaning or lotus-effect surface in which one or more antimicrobial polymer(s) is secured to a surface-coating system for securing structure-formers to generate a self-cleaning surface. This method lastingly binds antimicrobial polymers to the self-cleaning surface. Commercial products comprising an antimicrobial self-cleaning or lotus-effect surface.

A coated surface for resisting or enhancing bioadhesion includes at least one patterned polymer including coating layer having a plurality of features attached to or projected into a base surface. The features each have at least one microscale (<1 mm) dimension and have at least one neighboring feature having a substantially different geometry. The patterned coating layer preferably provides an average roughness factor (R) of from 4 to 50. The coating layer resists or enhances bioadhesion as compared to the base surface.

A self-cleaning surface which has an artificial, at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure containing elevations and depressions, which comprises a surface having structure-forming particles, which are formed of hydrophobic, fumed silica, adhered thereto by way of fixative particles applied to the surface, whereby the structure-forming particles and the fixative particles have elevations and depressions ranging in dimensions of 1 to 1000 nm and the particles themselves having an average size of less than 50 μm, the particles providing said surface structure of elevations and depressions, wherein, by incipient melting of the fixative particles, only partial melting of the fixative particles occurs which is sufficient to bond the structure forming particles without substantial wetting of the particles by the fixative particles to said surface while retaining, the fissured structure of the structure-forming particles in the nanometer range.

Disclosed is a method of excavating large quantities of non-homogenous radioactive contaminated waste, desirably without releasing radioactive contaminated dust or exposing personnel to its hazards. The excavation of buried waste is performed in the presence of a suppression fluid that coats the waste and captures and retains particles so that they do not become airborne. Use of this suppression fluid technique allows larger mechanized excavation equipment to be used to perform the work. This keeps workers away from the waste. The waste is excavated and placed inside large steel boxes, such as a roll-off box, by the excavator. The suppression fluid covers the waste in the boxes and prevents particulate emissions from the waste.

A process for producing self-cleaning surfaces, in which an at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure is formed by securing particles on a polymer surface, which comprises applying, to the polymer surface, at least one solvent which comprises the particles and which solvates the polymer surface, and securing at least part of the particles to the polymer surface by removing the solvent; self-cleaning surfaces obtained by the process; and objects containing self-cleaning surfaces obtained by the process.

Disclosed is a process for modification of a substrate so as to form an ultrahydrophobic surface on the substrate. Also disclosed are surface-modified substrates that can be formed according to the disclosed processes. The process includes attachment of a multitude of nano- and / or submicron-sized structures to a surface to provide increased surface roughness. In addition, the process includes grafting a hydrophobic material to the surface in order to decrease the surface energy and decrease wettability of the surface. The combination of increase surface roughness and decreased surface energy can provide an ultrahydrophobic surface on the treated substrate.

The invention is directed to an article with a liquid-impregnated surface, the surface having a matrix of features thereupon, spaced sufficiently close to stably contain a liquid therebetween or therewithin, and preferable also a thin film thereupon. The surface provides the article with advantageous non-wetting properties. Compared to previous non-wetting surfaces, which include a gas (e.g., air) entrained within surface textures, these liquid-impregnated surfaces are resistant to impalement and frost formation, and are therefore more robust.

Disclosed herein is an article that includes a first plurality of spaced features. The spaced features are arranged in a plurality of groupings; the groupings of features include repeat units; the spaced features within a grouping are spaced apart at an average distance of about 1 nanometer to about 500 micrometers; each feature having a surface that is substantially parallel to a surface on a neighboring feature; each feature being separated from its neighboring feature; the groupings of features being arranged with respect to one another so as to define a tortuous pathway. The plurality of spaced features provide the article with an engineered roughness index of about 5 to about 20.

A hydrophobic surface comprising a substrate and a roughened surface structure oriented on the substrate material is provided. The substrate comprises a surface, which is at least partially hydrophobic with a contact angle to liquid of 90° or greater. The roughened surface structure comprises a plurality of asperities arranged in a geometric pattern according to a roughness factor, wherein the roughness factor is characterized by a packing parameter p that equals the fraction of the surface area of the substrate covered by the asperities. The p parameter has a value from between about 0.5 to about 1.

A self-cleaning surface which has an artificial, at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure containing elevations and depressions, wherein the elevations and depressions are formed by structure-forming particles and fixative particles applied to the surface, wherein the fixative particles act to secure the structure-forming particles to the surface and the fixative particles are also secured to the surface; and a process for making such a surface.

Systems, devices and methods provide energy recover, modular systems to build and revise commercial kitchen services, closed circuit exhaust, and high efficiency capture and containment of fumes from cooking processes.