Transnational cooperation for protecting niche areas from marine corrosion and biofouling by green coatings and new testing technologies

During the last reporting period, SINTEF successfully developed the second generation of coatings featuring a dense, cross-linked network while maintaining flexibility. Several functional additives were introduced into the sol-gel-derived formulations, and homogeneous mixtures were achieved by fine-tuning the proportions of the various components. The resulting coatings demonstrated enhanced flexibility, exhibiting fewer cracks and an increase in hydrophobicity of approximately 20-30%. The anti-microfouling performance of these coatings was tested using a robotic screening method developed by SINTEF as part of the project. The combination of functional additives showed promising inhibitory effects against biofilm formation by the bacterial strains Edwardsiella anguillarum (ALM26, a marine model) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1, a general model). Additionally, this new generation of coatings displayed improved anti-microfouling properties, particularly against the attachment of marine mussels, as verified by the project partner. The coatings also exhibited enhanced structural integrity, indicating the formation of a dense cross-linked network. To assess the corrosion protection performance, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were conducted in synthetic seawater prepared according to ASTM D1141 standards. Results revealed that the second-generation coatings demonstrated significantly improved polarization resistance, outperforming the first-generation coatings by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Notably, coating thickness was found to have a negligible impact on overall corrosion resistance.

PRONICARE aims at developing an eco-friendly, cost-e?cient, thin hybrid sol-gel coating with functional additives, to provide a combination of corrosion and biofouling protection for metal surfaces in niche areas relevant to shipping and o?shore aquaculture; and establishing testing methods and a mobile test unit to evaluate the new coating with respect to marine growth protection, corrosion, competitiveness and eco-friendliness. The above goals will be achieved by - Investigating a wide range of copper free sol-gel based green coating formulations with functional additives - Applying the novel coating to a set of modular prototypes in niche areas - Developing a new mobile test unit and methodology to validate the e?ectiveness of the coating on the prototypes mimicking real ship conditions - Conducting environmental impact and life cycle analysis of the coating PRONICARE is a multidisciplinary collaborative e?ort from 6 partners including industries (ANKRON, ABT, Funzionano, Kelvion) and research institutions (SINTEF, AWI) from 3 di?erent countries (Norway, Germany and Malta), which will result in innovations capable of bene?ting multiple sectors of high potential for a sustainable marine economy, like transport and aquaculture.