Marine Chemical Research Institute develops biomimetic antifouling marine coatings

"The concept of bionics was proposed at the end of the last century. The basic idea is to simulate the surface structure of large marine organisms to achieve antifouling. For example, the epidermis of dolphins in nature can secrete special mucus, and the crab can secrete an enzyme. Marine organisms are difficult to attach." Dr. Gui Taijiang, chief engineer of the Marine Chemical Research Institute and deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Coatings, told reporters that "the biggest significance of biomimetic antifouling coatings is environmental protection and drag reduction", "the attachment of marine life to ships and Marine facilities bring great harm. On the one hand, it increases the hull's own weight and hull friction resistance, thereby increasing fuel consumption; on the other hand, it will accelerate the hull corrosion and shorten the service life of the ship." Dr. Gui Taijiang told reporters that when ships or marine equipment When the marine biofouling rate is 5%, the resistance is equivalent to twice the clean surface and the fuel consumption is increased by 10%. At present, the solution to this problem is to spray antifouling paint on ships and marine equipment. The traditional antifouling paints achieve anti-pollution purposes by poisoning attached organisms, which will cause certain pollution to the ocean.

How can we solve the problem of marine organism attachment without polluting the sea? Dr. Gui Taijiang said that their research found that many large creatures in the sea use very "friendly" methods to prevent fouling. Therefore, the Marine Chemical Research Institute began to study a biomimetic antifouling coating based on this principle. At present, the research of the new biomimetic antifouling technology declared by the institute was selected into the “973” project, and the researchers formed biofilm on the surface of marine antifouling paint. Conduct systematic research, establish a biofilm antifouling mechanism, explore new biomimetic antifouling technology, and lay the foundation for the development of non-toxic and environmentally friendly biomimetic antifouling coatings.

Biomimetic antifouling paint saves fuel and is environmentally friendly

"The concept of bionics is that the surface structure is like a creature, and the active material is refined to prevent biological attachment. At present, some of the concepts of bionics have entered the application stage." Gui Taijiang told reporters. "For example, the "stain release type antifouling paint" produced by the biomimetic technology releases the small molecule silicone oil to mimic the mucus released in the natural organism after the ship is started, so as to achieve the purpose of the organism not being attached." The patented “Wuxi self-polishing antifouling coating” also broke into the concept of bionics, and uniformly released non-toxic fungicides during the hydrolysis process to achieve the same purpose. "Before the successful development of "Wuxi self-polishing antifouling coating", China relies on foreign imports. Today, this product has filled the domestic gap and has entered the market. It is expected to end the dependence on imports." "A ship is consumed for one year." Oil and carbon dioxide emissions are very large, many classification societies have begun to develop regulations to reduce the energy consumption index, and coatings are relatively easy to achieve, of which self-polishing antifouling coatings have been tested on 20 to 30 ships. Taijiang said, "Experiments show that a 300-ton fishing boat uses a self-polishing antifouling coating containing only the bionic concept, saving 200 kilograms of fuel a day, and the economic value is very obvious." Guitai Jiang said that the Marine Chemical Research Institute has In cooperation with Beihai Shipyard, we have established sales offices, technical services and coordination in Dalian, Wuhan, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The annual sales of anti-pollution can reach 4 million to 5 million yuan.

Industry, education and research help bionic concept industrialization

“The earliest “Qingdao” sailboat applied this kind of paint, so now this kind of paint is also applied to luxury yachts.” Guitai Jiang said with a smile, “Bionic paints are widely used in the development of marine aquaculture industry. The box is also getting bigger and bigger, unlike the previous small cage, which is easy to clean. Now a long creature on the cage is easy to block the net, and the fish is easy to lack nutrients. The cage is coated with a bionic anti-fouling net. The paint has very good effect. It can be used in the north for one year. It has been established in Qingdao. “Because antifouling paint is a special functional coating, the experimental cycle is very long, and there are still problems in marketing, so it still faces There are many challenges.” Gui Taijiang told reporters, “Although foreign countries have already made molds that imitate shark skins, they are not practical. The most important two breakthroughs at present are how the biological skin structure is transformed into coating technology and natural The economics of the product and the large-scale production capacity. The next biggest goal is to make the anti-fouling paint more environmentally friendly and last longer.

In order to accomplish this goal as soon as possible, Qingdao University of Science and Technology and the State Key Laboratory of Marine Coatings (based on the Institute of Marine Chemical Industry) have jointly developed postgraduate work, and the two sides have signed a joint training agreement for graduate students. The marine pollution prevention technology, heavy anti-corrosion technology and functional coating technology have been identified in the agreement as the key research directions in the future. With the support of talent, the concept of bionics may soon be applied to all walks of life.