Combinatorial approach to study the effect of acrylic polyol composition on the properties of crosslinked siloxane-polyurethane fouling-release coatings

The effect of acrylic polyol composition on the properties of crosslinked siloxane-polyurethane coatings was explored. An acrylic polyol library was synthesized using batch solution polymerization and characterized using high-throughput gel permeation chromatography (Rapid-GPC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Siloxane-polyurethane coatings were prepared from 3-aminopropyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), the acrylic polyols and a polyisocyanate crosslinker. The siloxane-acrylic-polyurethane coatings were tested for mechanical and physical properties. The siloxane-polyurethane coatings had a systematic variation in glass transition temperature and had water contact angles ranging from 95 degrees to 100 degrees. Many of the coatings also showed a low-force of release in the pseudo-barnacle pull-off adhesion test. Performance testing of the fouling-release properties of the siloxane-polyurethane coatings on array panels with algae, namely the diatom Navicula and sporelings (young plants) of the green seaweed Ulva was also conducted.