Coffee against marine biofouling

Marine biofouling is a major issue in the marine industry. Traditional antifouling coatings have been banned worldwide due to their toxicity to nontarget organisms.  In a new study, two coffee/PDMS composite coatings with 5 and 10% weight coffee were prepared, and pristine PDMS was selected as the control. In the early stage of biofouling, the settlement of microalgae and bacteria is crucial for the biofilm formation; thus, Chlorella and the bacteria Paracoccus pantotrophus (P. pantotrophus) were employed as the fouling models in the antifouling tests.

Good choice for preventing marine biofouling

In the antialgal test, both coffee/PDMS coatings exhibited excellent antialgal capability, while pristine PDMS was covered with many algal cells. In the antibacterial test, both coffee coatings showed better antifouling capability than the pristine PDMS, and the 10% coffee coating showed the best antifouling capability. A further study revealed that the coffee could inhibit the growth of P. pantotrophus in the liquid environment. According to the immersion and antibacterial tests, it could be concluded that the coffee coatings released coffee to surroundings to prevent biofouling. According to the researchers, the 10% coffee/PDMS coating is a good choice for preventing marine biofouling, but the coffee leaching may be a barrier for long-term use.

The study has been published in Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, Volume 20, Issue 3, May 2023.

Event tip

Bio-based systems are also the focus of the EC Conference Bio-based and Water-based Coatings on November 14 and 15 in Berlin, Germany. At the conference, you will learn about the latest developments in bio-based and water-based coatings.