FASTER Robotic Electrochemistry

We are revolutionising the development of advanced electrochemical systems by developing a robot to autonomously screen and evaluate your materials 24/7. We call it FASTER. You will too.

FASTER – Fast Autonomous Screening Test for Electrochemical Response

The FASTER way

Electrochemical testing and validation of new materials can be time consuming tasks, slowing down the research and development phase of next-generation material systems, processes and products. FASTER is a set of hardware and software systems developed by CSIRO to overcome time limiting inefficiencies and human error in electrochemical testing and materials validation. Using a robotically actuated sensing platform and a computer controlled liquid delivery system, we can automate routine electrochemical testing tasks, enabling extensive testing cycles of 10’s to 100’s of discrete electrically addressable samples, without human intervention. FASTER records electrochemical data using industry standard potentiostats, ensuring that the data FASTER from is directly comparable with well-established testing and regulatory standards.

FASTER minimisation of experimental waste

FASTER’s standardised testing array reduces the testing volume of the electrolyte from ~250 mL to less than 5 mL over 100’s of samples. Resulting in a significant reduction in the volume of liquid waste which needs to be dispensed and then subsequently disposed of, reducing experimental costs.

FASTER on the fly

Our FASTER testing systems move beyond rote combinatorial electrochemistry, with the liquid dispensing system tuned to deliver liquids to spike the testing electrolyte. This can be employed to determine optimal chemical concentrations, effective pH operating ranges, effective electrochemical windows and synergistic mixtures of active elements in an experimental design space.

FASTER methods of materials development and validation

FASTER excels at accelerating discovery in commercially and industrially relevant electrochemical process:

    • Screening of electrochemically active materials, accelerating the materials discovery phase
    • Validating corrosion protection systems
    • Testing new coating formulations
    • Battery electrode and electrolyte optimisation and formulation
    • General electrochemical process evaluation

FASTER has been used to screen and develop next generation anti-corrosion compounds to replace existing toxic solutions.