An ink tube according to an embodiment includes a flexible tube body through which an ink flows, and a liquid repellent membrane which coats at least an inner surface of the flexible tube body. The liquid repellent membrane comprising a fluorine compound having a binding moiety containing a silicon atom and a carbon atom and a perfluoroalkyl group of four or fewer carbon atoms. The binding moiety is covalently bonded directly to the inner surface of the flexible tube body, and the perfluoroalkyl group is at a terminal end of the fluorine compound opposite from an end of the binding moiety.

A hydrophobic, self-healing coating includes a vitrimer film having a silicone polymer network crosslinked with dynamic covalent bonds including a boronic ester, where the vitrimer film has a thickness of less than 1000 nm, and where the dynamic covalent bonds provide a mechanism for self-healing of the vitrimer film.

The embodiments herein relate to a non-aqueous liquid foul release coating composition and process for controlling aqueous biofouling on man-made objects, including a curable resin system (A) comprising i) a curable polymer free of fluorine atoms and having a backbone selected from a polyurethane, a polyether, a polyester, a polycarbonate or a hybrid of two or more thereof, and having at least one terminal or pendant alkoxysilyl group and ii) optionally a curing agent and/or a catalyst; and (B) a marine biocide and/or a non-curable, non-volatile compound is selected from the group consisting of fluorinated polymers, sterols and sterol derivatives, and hydrophilic-modified polysiloxane oils, wherein the coating composition is essentially free of a curable polysiloxane, and wherein the coating composition is essentially free of non-curable polysiloxanes other than non-curable hydrophilic-modified polysiloxane oils.

A surface treatment composition including a perfluoropolyether group-containing silane compound and a solvent, wherein a proportion of the perfluoropolyether group-containing silane compound based on a total amount of the perfluoropolyether group-containing silane compound and the solvent is in the range from 30 to 99% by mass.

This disclosure describes incorporation of a liquid additive within one or more phases of a multiphase polymer coating. The structure of the microphase-separated network provides reservoirs for liquid in discrete and/or continuous phases. Some variations provide an anti-fouling segmented copolymer composition comprising: (a) one or more first soft segments selected from fluoropolymers; (b) one or more second soft segments selected from polyesters or polyethers; (c) one or more isocyanate species; (d) one or more polyol or polyamine chain extenders or crosslinkers; and (e) a liquid additive disposed in the first soft segments and/or the second soft segments. The first soft segments and the second soft segments are microphase-separated on a microphase-separation length scale from 0.1 microns to 500 microns. These solid/liquid hybrid materials improve physical properties associated with the coating in applications such as anti-fouling (e.g., anti-ice or anti-bug) surfaces, ion conduction, and corrosion resistance.

To provide a water/oil repellent layer-provided substrate having a water/oil repellent layer excellent in abrasion resistance, a deposition material and a method for producing a water/oil repellent layer-provided substrate.

The water/oil repellent layer-provided substrate of the present invention is a water/oil repellent layer-provided substrate comprising a substrate, an undercoat layer and a water/oil repellent layer in this order, wherein the water/oil repellent layer comprises a condensate of a fluorinated compound having a reactive silyl group, the undercoat layer contains an oxide containing silicon and an alkaline earth metal element, and the ratio of the molar concentration of the alkaline earth metal element in the undercoat layer to the molar concentration of silicon in the undercoat layer is from 0.005 to 5.

End effectors for robots are disclosed for autonomous engagement and transfer of luggage from a transport device to a container. The end effectors includes an engaging end effector that utilizes a vacuum force to engage and remove a bag from the transport device and a conveyor end effector that includes a conveyor for conveying bags into the container. A control system instructs and/or controls the end effectors.

The present teachings generally provide curable polysiloxane compositions including a base resin including a surface active polymer. Articles of manufacture including the curable polysiloxane compositions and slippery coatings and materials also are provided. The compositions may be used to provide slippery, lubricious, or repellent materials and coatings and may provide anti-fouling function. The compositions can provide anti-fouling or foul-release function on open surfaces, internal surfaces, membranes; to provide pinning free or low contact angle hysteresis surfaces; to provide homogeneous interface to suppress nucleation; to provide a barrier layer such as anti-corrosion; to provide anti-stain, anti-smudge, anti-fingerprint, anti-soil function.

The present application describes novel antifouling coating compositions comprising carbon-based hydrolysable polymers of ethylenically unsaturated monomers of which some include cyclic carbonates or cyclic ethers, e.g. (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl (meth)acrylate (IPGA/IPGMA), isopropylidene glycerol ethoxylated acrylate (iPGEOA), isopropylidene glycerol N ethoxylated methacrylate (iPGEOMA) and (2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl (meth)acrylate (GCA/GCMA), and their use in antifouling coating compositions. Novel polymers are also described.

A coating film capable of being peeled off in the shape of sheet to facilitate a coating film removal work, and is less likely to peel even after long periods of use on an underwater structure is provided. The coating film comprises an undercoat layer to be bonded to an underwater structure, and an antifouling layer bonded to the undercoat layer, wherein: a 100-gram underwater constant load peeling degree of the coating film is less than 5; a ratio of a tensile breaking strength of the coating film to an adhesive force of the coating film with respect to the underwater structure, as measured after immersing the coating film in pure water at 60° C. for 5 weeks is 1.5 or more; and a 1-mm square cross-cut stretching-caused peeling degree of the antifouling layer with respect to the undercoat layer is 0.05 or less.