Viscoelasticity and Associated-drag of Artificial and Natural Marine Fouling Biofilms

海洋船舶上的生物膜相关阻力估计在1-18%之间（Schultz等人，2011年）。用于估计生物膜相关阻力的当前设备（例如，AkzoNobel的MATRIX水槽），已经使用不同的砂纸进行了校准，这些砂纸是具有确定和均匀粗糙度的刚性结构，并且不会因流体流动而变形。可以测量生物膜粗糙度。然而，生物膜是粘弹性材料，因此在剪切流下变形，产生大量的生物膜-流体相互作用，随后影响阻力。因此，刚性粗糙度校准不会直接转化为等效粗糙生物膜的生物膜阻力。该项目包括从顺应性材料开发新型合成生物膜，并测量生物膜（人工和天然）的物理机械特性，特别是粘弹性，用于校准海洋生物膜阻力到顺应性材料的阻力。从长远来看，该项目产生的数据，方法和知识将支持开发具有定制性能的涂层，以减少海洋生物膜污染的阻力。

Biofilm associated drag on a marine vessel is estimated to be between 1-18% (Schultz at al., 2011). Current equipment used to estimate biofilm-associated drag (ex. MATRIX flume at AkzoNobel), has been calibrated using different sandpapers, which are rigid structures of defined and homogenous roughness and are not deformed by fluid flow. Biofilm roughness can be measured. However, biofilms are viscoelastic materials and so deform under shear flow, producing a multitude of biofilm-fluid interactions that subsequently influence drag. As such, rigid roughness calibrations do not directly translate to biofilm drag for equivalently rough biofilms. This project encompasses the development of novel synthetic biofilms from compliant materials and measuring physicomechanical properties of biofilms (both artificial and natural), particularly viscoelasticity, for calibrating marine biofilm drag to that of compliant materials. In the longer term the data, methods, and knowledge generated from this project will support the development of coatings with properties tailored to reduce drag penalties from marine biofilm fouling.