Simple Methods for Evaluating Acid Permeation and Biofilm Formation Behaviors on Polysiloxane Films

The sulfuric acid permeation and biofilm formation behaviors of polysiloxane films have been investigated, and simple methods for evaluating the sulfuric acid permeation and biofilm formation behaviors have been proposed in this paper. The polysiloxane films used in these experiments were practically impermeable to the aqueous sulfuric acid solution, and the amount of biofilm formation varied depending on the composition of the films. Further, the amount of sulfuric acid permeation can be estimated by measuring the polarization curves of polysiloxane films with different thicknesses formed on iron electrodes. By measuring the adhesion work of pure water and simulated biofilm droplets on polysiloxane films of different compositions, we can estimate the resistance of biofilm formation on the polysiloxane films.