Towards AquaSun practical utilization: strong adhesion and lack of ecotoxicity of solar-driven antifouling sol-gel coating

24 December 2021, Version 1
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

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. Newly developed AquaSun coatings share superhydrophicity (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 utilization of these novel marine coatings.

Keywords

AquaSun
Antifouling
Ecofriendly
sol-gel
Coating

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