The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project will be the potential commercialization of a coating product with superior durability and antifouling performance in the targeted environmental-friendly marine coating market. This product does not require frequent application and reduces the biofouler growth and built-up on both moving and static objects in bodies of water. This leads to economic benefits by improving fuel efficiency and reducing the maintenance cost of ships and other marine structures. Environmentally, current marine coating products function by leaching toxic chemicals (biocides) into the water which are harmful to marine ecosystems and subject to increasing global regulatory restrictions. This product addresses this issue by providing an eco-friendly solution with equivalent antifouling performance. It can deliver a disruptive coating solution that can improve vessel maneuverability, increase fuel efficiency, and address environmental concerns by replacing current toxic coating products.
This I-Corps project will further develop a non-biocide, environmental-friendly marine coating technology. This coating innovation involves novel material composition and fabrication methods enabling a strong and durable immobilization of hydrophilic coating materials on most hydrophobic substrates that are commonly used as anti-corrosion bottom paints used on ship hulls. Hydrophilic materials are known for their high capacity in resisting biofouling, but they tend to dissolve in water, instead of staying on the substrate, leading to gradual exposure of the unprotected substrate over time. The key innovative feature of this technology is that it improves the poor stability and durability challenge of super-hydrophilic polymer coatings when applied in the water environment. This coating technology is effective against biofouling while achieving durability and robustness required in aqueous environments.
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.
