Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Wet cooling towers, that use water for cooling, are utilized in many large scale industrial processes andx000D
commercial building HVAC systems for rapid and efficient removal of waste heat. A major problem arisingx000D
from the operation of wet cooling towers is their contamination with microorganisms, including Legionella,x000D
which causes Legionnaire's disease in humans via exposure to mist droplets containing the bacteria. Thus, therex000D
is an urgent need to develop technologies that can prevent the contamination of industrial processes, andx000D
specifically, wet cooling towers, by harmful bacteria. The partner organisation, PCP Aluminium, based inx000D
Saguenay, Québec, has developed a proprietary technology to form antimicrobial anodized aluminum surfacesx000D
(A3S). Their process involves the formation of a porous aluminum oxide layer that can be loaded with safex000D
antimicrobial agents; namely, quaternary ammonium and silver salts. PCP Aluminium has demonstrated thex000D
antimicrobial activity of their A3S material in dry conditions against a series of bacteria. However, theirx000D
company-specific challenge is to show whether the A3S material exhibits antimicrobial and antibiofoulingx000D
activity under wet operating conditions. Professor Nathalie Tufenkji's team at McGill University has expertisex000D
in the study of biofilms, antimicrobial materials and material characterization. She will work with PCPx000D
Aluminium to demonstrate the anti-bacterial and anti-biofouling activities of the A3S material under wetx000D
conditions relevant to cooling water towers. She will also work with them to characterize the physical andx000D
chemical properties of the material after exposure to bacteria using state-of-the-art techniques. This study willx000D
provide critical proof-of-concept data for the potential implementation of the A3S technology in a safer andx000D
more efficient cooling water tower design. If successful, this research project will thus create significant marketx000D
opportunities for this novel technology by enabling PCP Aluminium to develop safer cooling towerx000D
technologies. This will increase profitability for the Canadian company, while contributing to protecting thex000D
health of people in Canada and abroad.