Bio-fouling on ship hulls and other marine structures has become a global environmental and economic issue. There is an urgent need for the development of next-generation marine coatings that are nontoxic, long-lasting, low-cost and effective even under static conditions. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project from Zwitter Technology will develop a bio-inspired environmental friendly marine coating with nonfouling and fouling release capabilities by integrating bioinspired mechanistic and zwitterionic/silicone material approaches. In Phase I, we will demonstrate the benefits of bioinspired antifoulants, nonfouling zwitterionic materials and low-elastic module silicones. In Phase I Option, we will develop a commercially viable approach (i.e., easy scale up/production/application and low-cost) to realize this concept. This multi-functional marine coating technology will be the first and the only one of its kind.
Benefit: The success of this project will bring a bio-inspired marine coating with nonfouling and fouling release capabilities into the market. Since they are nontoxic, long-lasting, low-cost and effective even under static conditions, this bio-inspired marine coating will not only take a large portion of market share from existing antifouling and fouling release marine coatings, but also create new market. It is a platform technology for marine coatings and has huge commercial values for many applications such as ship hulls, marine structures and heat exchangers.
Keywords: Zwitterionic, Zwitterionic, Nonfouling, Marine Coating, Bioinspired, Enzyme Inhbitor, Norepinephrine, Antifouling, Fouling-Release.
