I-Corps: Development of a Fouling Release Coating Formulation

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响和商业潜力是开发一种新型的船体和龙骨防污涂层，以减少现有涂层对环境的影响。虽然据报道铜是一种有效的防污剂，但它对海洋生物是有毒的，人们正在寻找替代品。提出的创新是无铜，耐污，非生物杀灭剂，预期寿命是目前商用防污涂料的五倍，将有助于环境水质和恢复河流，海洋和海洋。它可以抵抗船体和龙骨上形成的黏液层，从而减少阻力，从而降低燃料消耗，同时保护海洋生物并减少有毒物质的排放。这种涂层可以为每艘船每年节省约350万美元的成本。I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种新型耐污（FR）纳米复合涂层，以解决船舶船体和龙骨的生物污染问题。目前的挑战包括铜浸出、泥形成、低粘附、更严格的法规、船体和龙骨的维护成本、停机成本以及生物积累导致的高燃料消耗。该项目将：a)促进对正常和功能化纳米图案表面的接触角、表面张力等因素所需性能的理解；B)概述未来的研究，如表面能、润湿性、膜厚度和流变性之间的相互作用；c)确定未来的特征需求。潜在的结果包括将铜浸出率降至9µg/cm2以下，并将铜负荷降至0.005%以下。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a novel anti-fouling coating for ship hulls and keels to reduce the environmental impact of current coatings. Although copper has been reported to be effective as an antifouling agent, it is toxic and poisonous to marine organisms and alternatives are sought. The proposed innovation is copper-free, fouling-resistant, and non-biocidal with a life expectancy of five times that of current commercial antifouling coating and will contribute environmentally to the water quality and restoration of rivers, seas, and ocean. It will offer resistance to slime layer formation on ship hulls and keels to reduce drag, subsequently reducing fuel consumption while protecting marine organisms and reducing toxic emissions. This coating could offer an estimated $3.5M/year per ship in cost savings.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a novel fouling-resistance (FR) nanocomposite coating to solve problems of biofouling in the hulls and keels of ships. Current challenges include copper leaching, slime formation, low adhesion, stronger regulations, maintenance costs for the ship hull and keel, costs associated with down time, and high fuel consumption resulting from bioaccumulation. This project will: a)advance the understanding of the required performance for factors such as the contact angle, surface tension of normally and functionalized nanopatterned surfaces; b) outline future studies such as interactions between surface energy, wettability, film thickness, and rheology; and c) determine future characterization needs. Potential outcomes include the reduction of copper leaching below 9 µg/cm2 and reduction of copper loading to less than 0.005%.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.