Novel ecofriendly antifouling brush surfaces
Researchers have presented a graphene-based ternary nanocomposite coating as ecofriendly antifouling brush surfaces.
A simple two-phase process was used to create a simple, cost-effective, and environment-friendly GO/TiO2 nanocomposite. Various microfouling species were selected to test the biological inertness of the coated specimens for up to four weeks in the laboratory. The findings shed light on the impact of GO/TiO2 filler distribution and topological roughness to enhance the modeled nanopaints’ fouling repellency and superhydrophobicity. The water-contact angle (152°) considerably increased, the SFE (12.3 mN/m) decreased, and the rough topology improved with the addition of nanofillers until 1 wt% without any changes in the bulk mechanical characteristics.
45-day field trial in natural seawater
A 45-day field trial in natural seawater was carried out in a tropical area to confirm the coatings’ durability and the foul release performance based on the screening process and image analysis. Thus, the researchers obtained a promising foul release nanocomposite top coat for marine coating applications and healthcare facilities with great thermal stability, superhydrophobicity, surface inertness against fouling adherence, cost-effectiveness, and increased lifetime.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 167, June 2022.
