Antifungal coating based on essential oil microcapsules
The aim of a recent work was to develop a green waterborne paint formulated with microcapsules containing essentials oil as biocide agent.
The microcapsules were synthesised by interfacial polymerisation. Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resin was used for the microcapsule shell wall, and Lavandin and Tea Tree essential oils (EOs) as core materials. Preparation of acrylic waterborne paint was performed and the microcapsules MF-EOs were dispersed into the original paint just before application on commercial gypsum boards. The stability of the MF-EOs in the paint was successfully achieved. Two control paints were used, one containing EOs in free form and other without biocide.
High inhibition activity against fungal
The effectiveness of the microcapsules into paint film against spore suspension of Aspergillus fumigatus was evaluated by seeding the fungus on the painted surface. The fungal growth was evaluated according to ASTM D5590 standard specification. The score obtained from MF-Lavandin paint indicates just a trace growth onto the painted surface (<10 %). On the control and MF-Tea tree paints the growth was 70 %.
The MF-Lavandin showed a high inhibition activity against fungal in the dry paint film compared with the one containing free form EOs paint.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 151, February 2021.
