Critical Amphiphilic Concentration: Effect of the Extent of Amphiphilicity on Marine Fouling-Release Performance

Abstract

Amphiphilic surfaces, containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains, offer desirable performance for many applications such as marine coatings or anti-icing purposes. This work explores the effect of the concentration of amphiphilic moieties on converting a polyurethane (PU) system to a coating having fouling-release properties. A novel amphiphilic compound is synthesized and added at increasing amounts to a PU system, where the amount of the additive is the only variable in the study. The additive-modified surfaces are characterized by a variety of techniques including ATR-FTIR, XPS, contact angle measurements, and AFM. Surface characterizations indicate the presence of amphiphilic domains on the surface due to the introduction of the selfstratifying amphiphilic additive. The fouling-release properties of the surfaces are assessed with three biological assays using Ulva linza, Cellulophaga lytica, and Navicula Incerta as the test organisms. A change in the fouling-release performance is observed and plateaued once a certain amount of amphiphilicity is attained in the coating system, which we call the critical amphiphilic concentration (CAC).

Preparation and Properties of Environmentally Friendly Marine Antifouling Coatings Based on a Collaborative Strategy

“…Marine fouling organisms, also known as marine attached organisms, are animals, plants, and microorganisms that inhabit, attach, and grow on the bottom of ships, docks, buoys, and various artificial facilities. , Marine ecosystems are one of the main places where biological fouling occurs. According to statistics, there are more than 4000 types of marine organisms that can cause biological fouling, and the most common are algae, hydra, barnacles, oysters, and some microorganisms. , Their attachment can cause great harm to ships and marine facilities, such as an increase in the hull weight and navigation friction, an increase in power and fuel consumption, the blockage of marine transmission pipelines, and the failure of marine instruments, all of which can seriously hinder the development of the marine economy. − At present, marine engineering facilities related to national welfare, livelihoods, and defense security require substantial investments. Annual losses caused by biological fouling are difficult to estimate, and protecting the long-term safe operation of these facilities is of great economic and social significance. − With the accelerated pace of marine development and utilization, scientifically and efficiently controlling marine biological fouling has become a focus of international ecology, environmental science, materials science, and other multidisciplinary fields.…”

“…According to statistics, there are more than 4000 types of marine organisms that can cause biological fouling, and the most common are algae, hydra, barnacles, oysters, and some microorganisms. 3,4 Their attachment can cause great harm to ships and marine facilities, such as an increase in the hull weight and navigation friction, an increase in power and fuel consumption, the blockage of marine transmission pipelines, and the failure of marine instruments, all of which can seriously hinder the development of the marine economy. 5−7 At present, marine engineering facilities related to national welfare, livelihoods, and defense security require substantial investments.…”

Fabrication and characterization of novel polyurethane Encapsulant with excellent underwater acoustic transparency and hydrophobicity

“…Compared with PU, the water contact angle of FPU‐5 exhibited a significant increase to 100°, indicating an excellent hydrophobicity. [ 36 ] However, when the amount of PTFPMS is higher than 6 wt%, the water contact angle of FPU‐4, FPU‐5 and FPU‐6 increased much more gently and were almost stable at 100°. This should be attributed to the enrichment of fluoroalkyl groups with low surface energy on the surface of FPU(Figure 5C).…”

Silicone Elastomer with Self-Generating Zwitterions for Antifouling Coatings

“…This increase correlates with the WCA. The greater the change in WCA values, the greater the change in the SE of a coating. , The surface modulus is also an important factor of the fouling release performance, where a lower modulus is favorable for fouling release. , Figures b and S5 show the surface elastic modulus and the force–indentation curve of PDMS tTCBF- x coatings after immersion. PDMS has a modulus of ∼0.9 MPa, but PDMS tTCBF- x coatings exhibit an even lower modulus (∼0.6 MPa).…”