Inspired by nature
In the natural world there are many examples of micro- and nanostructured surfaces that exhibit antibacterial and / or drag-reducing properties, such as the wings of insects and the skin of a shark.
The aim of this project is to characterize part of these nanostructures and their antibacterial and / or drag-reducing properties.
The aim of this project is to characterize part of these nanostructures and their antibacterial and / or drag-reducing properties. In this way we aim to obtain a good understanding of the specific characteristics which are responsible for this function. A second goal of the project is to examine how these surfaces can be produced on a large scale, in order to subsequently be introduced into a manufacturing process.
Research activities
We will test different micro- and nanostructuring techniques (nano-imprinting, laser interference lithography, laser micro trick Turing) on PVC in order to investigate to what is the smallest scale of micro- and nano-structures that can be applied to PVC. These surfaces will be characterized in detail in order to identify both their structure as well as their anti-bacterial properties. The stability over an extended period of time of this structure is also the subject of our study. Based on these results one of these techniques will be scaled up and, if possible, be integrated in the production of PVC foils. This is how we aim to provide larger areas of a micro-nano structure, for different applications.
Saxion research group NanoBioInterface, the Windesheim research group Polymer Technology, Van Mercksteijn Plastics, MESA + Nanolab, research group Mechanical Automation of the University of Twente.
Duration
This project runs from April 2016 until April 2017.
More information
For more information please contact Martin Bennink:
