Performance of Natural Product-Based Antifouling Paint

Natural Product-Based Antifouling Paint Performance Biofouling is particularly challenging for underwater sensors in long-term in-situ monitoring in marine environments. Biological fouling on in-situ sensor surfaces can shorten service life, increase maintenance costs and frequency, while resulting in signal drift and data errors. Natural products with antifouling properties are promising sources for environmentally friendly antifouling agents. However, most studies use only laboratory tests to evaluate the antifouling efficacy of natural products. Researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Xiamen University, have recently demonstrated through their studies that camptothecin (CPT) exhibits effective decay-prevention activity in seawater and lower toxicity. The research conducted by the team was published on 18 March in International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. The study showed significantly lower macrofouling coverage in areas painted with CPT-based paint compared to unpainted areas on six materials submerged in seawater for nine months. The tested panels were made from six different materials including three metals (316 L stainless steel, TC4 titanium alloy and 7075 aluminum alloy) and three plastics (polyoxymethylene, polyvinyl chloride and Teflon). These materials are commonly used in the manufacture of underwater sensor housings. Researchers suspended these panels at a depth of 1 metre in seawater beneath a floating raft in Xiamen Bay, China, for nine months starting from 7 July 2019. After nine months underwater, the CPT-based paint demonstrated good antifouling paint performance and reduced biofouling by 73.33–96.41 percent compared to control unpainted areas (100 percent coverage). In particular, the antifouling paint on plastic material performed better than on metal material. Prof. Feng Danqing, one of the corresponding authors of the study, stated, "Our results demonstrate that CPT-based paint can be used as a potential solution to control biofouling of sensor housings in long-term in-situ applications in marine environments." Additionally, the research team deployed three underwater sensors beneath a moored surface buoy platform in Daya Bay, Shenzhen, China, starting from 22 June 2020. After being deployed for four months under a surface buoy in the marine environment, the sensors remained clean. Prof. Li Jianping, another corresponding author of the study, stated, "It is worth noting that CPT-based paint has great potential for other artificial submerged structures in marine environments, such as ship hulls, oil platforms and aquaculture facilities." Source