Abstract
Biofilm formation occurs through the correlation between metals and bacteria. However, the action and behavior seems to be very different from the viewpoint of interaction between metals and surfaces and bacteria. When bacteria attach the material surfaces, they exchange a sort of chemical signals (quorum sensing) and excrete polysaccharide at the same time to form biofilms. And most of bacteria in oligotrophic environments (many water systems and marine environment) live in biofilms. We investigated the antibacterial effects of some single alloys and plated steels. All of the specimens with the folder were immersed in a cooling water tank in a cooling tower. Cooling water is fresh water. Immersion time was 4 weeks. Biofilm formation was not observed on the surface of Fe-24Cr-2Mo, Fe-24Cr-2Mo-1.2N, 304 steel, 430 steel, Cr plated steel and Ni plated steel in the case of a long term immersion, indicates that stainless steel and constituent elements of stainless steel such as Cr and Ni have inhibition capability against biofilm formation.
