Date of Award

12-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences

First Advisor

Geoffrey Swain, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Kenyon Lindeman, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Emily Ralston, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Richard Aronson, Ph.D.

Abstract

There is a need to control biofouling on sensors and transparent windows in the marine environment. Clear silicone coatings offer a method to reduce the adhesion strength of marine organisms to the surface, however, these also require mechanical cleaning to maintain the surfaces free of fouling. This research evaluated the performance of eighty seven formulations and took the top two candidates to investigate a) the frequencies of wiping required by a brush to maintain two coatings and uncoated glass surfaces free of fouling and b) the effects of clear silicone coatings fouling release properties on required frequencies. The panels were tested on four different racks immersed at Port Canaveral, Fl and subjected to one forward and backward wipe every 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The silicone coating with the lowest adhesion strength remained clear of fouling at the lowest wiping frequency of 48 hours. The silicone coating with higher biofouling adhesion strength required a wiping frequency of once every 12 hours which was similar to the uncoated glass. A synergistic relationship between the fouling release properties of the surfaces and wiping frequency was demonstrated. Exposed edges were found to play a large role in fouling and the data suggests that structural design needs to emphasize the importance of edge effects in the application of these antifouling systems.

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