Underwater Adhesive for Coral Reef Restoration

TIAX proposes to continue to demonstrate the feasibility of a quick tack, long pot life, high strength underwater adhesive formulated to be delivered through a caulk gun like application device. Our two-part adhesive that we developed in Phase I is easily dispensed through a static mixing nozzle during application, removing the need for hand-mixing the adhesive prior to use. Our adhesive has demonstrated strong adhesion to a commonly used artificial substrate. We have leveraged our extensive skills in polymer and adhesive formulation to choose the proper resin system, synergistic fillers, beneficial crosslinkers and other additives to develop a strong and durable adhesive that quickly sets underwater and cannot be dislodged by water or animal motion. In Phase II, we will further develop our adhesive system to improve its properties such as quick tack, pot-life, bond strength, and rheological characteristics. We will then demonstrate our adhesives ability to adhere through biofilm covered surfaces and confirm that our adhesive is non-toxic to surrounding flora and fauna. We will further develop the adhesive applicator for quick, easy and comfortable dispensing of the adhesive. Finally, we will demonstrate manufacturability with a pilot scale production run before establishing real-world usability with a small field trial.