Hydrogen peroxide formation via solar light: Novel antifouling coating
A new paper reports strong adhesion and lack of ecotoxicity of a solar-driven antifouling sol-gel coating. Test results open the route to the practical utilisation of these novel marine coatings.
The outcomes of adhesion and ecotoxicity tests carried out on metal specimens faithfully representing the surface of real ships, including the primer and tie coat layers typically applied on ship hull prior to deposition of the antifouling paint, show the practical applicability of “AquaSun” antifouling sol-gel coatings.
Ecofriendly antifouling mechanism
Newly developed AquaSun coatings share hydrophobicity (contact angle >115°) and exceptionally high scratch resistance (ASTM 5B). Coupled to the ecofriendly antifouling mechanism based on continuous H2O2 formation upon exposure to solar light and foul release due to low surface energy, these results open the route to the practical utilisation of these novel marine coatings.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 165, April 2022.
