Polyurethane films as antibacterial and protective coatings
A new study describes the fabrication of CNTs/TiO2/polyurethane films for the protection of steel surfaces.
Steel is a commonly used material in the construction field but the steel’s surface is easily corroded under natural conditions and especially in environments containing a salt solution and continuous UV illumination. The fabrication and modification of polyurethane (PU) coatings toward a protection of the steel surface has received a lot of special attention.
Corrosion protection
The TiO2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites have been synthesised by a ball milling method toward the enhancing properties for the smart PU coating. The modified PU coatings, which are coated on the CT3 steel substrates (abbreviation: CNTs/TiO2/PU films), also express a highly effective antibacterial ability (over 95%) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. By the electrochemical analysis of the CNTs/TiO2/PU films, the researchers found that 1%wt CNTs/TiO2/PU film has the most excellent protection for the CT3 steel surface. Moreover, the 1%wt CNTs/TiO2/PU film effectively protects against the corrosion of the steel surface.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 167, June 2022.
