Effects of coating roughness and biofouling on ship resistance and powering

Abstract

Predictions of full-scale ship resistance and powering are made for antifouling coating systems with a range of roughness and fouling conditions. The estimates are based on results from laboratory-scale drag measurements and boundary layer similarity law analysis. In the present work, predictions are made for a mid-sized naval surface combatant at cruising speed and near maximum speed. The results indicate that slime films can lead to significant increases in resistance and powering, and heavy calcareous fouling results in powering penalties up to 86% at cruising speed. The present estimates show good agreement with results from full-scale ship power trials.     

Multifunctional carbon nanotubes for direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase and glucose bioassay

Polydopamine (Pdop) has recently been shown to adsorb to a wide variety of surfaces and serves as an adhesion layer to immobilize biological molecules. In this work, the multifunctional carbon nanotube (CNT) composites were prepared though the oxidation of dopamine at room temperature and subsequent electroless silver deposition by mildly stirring. The stable immobilization and direct electron transfer of glucose oxidase were achieved on the composite film modified glassy carbon electrode. The resulting electrode gave a well-defined redox peaks with a formal potential of about −482 mV (vs. SCE) in pH 7.0 buffer. The electron transfer rate constant was estimated to be 3.6 s⁻¹, due to the combined contribution of Pdop, CNTs and Ag nanoparticles with the help of Nafion. Furthermore, the method for detecting of glucose was proposed based on the decrease of oxygen caused by the enzyme-catalyzed reaction between glucose oxidase (GOD) and glucose. The linear response to glucose ranging from 50.0 μM to 1.1 mM (R² = 0.9958), with a calculated detection limit of 17.0 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The low calculated apparent Michaelis–Menten constant was 5.46 mM, implying the high enzymatic activity and affinity of immobilized GOD for glucose. It can reasonably be expected that this observation might hold true for other noble metal nanostructure-electroactive protein systems, providing a promising platform for the development of biosensors and biofuel cells.     

Organic coatings and ontogenetic particle selection in Streblospio benedicti Webster (Spionidae: Polychaeta)

Surface deposit feeders select food particles based upon characteristics including size, texture, specific gravity, and organic coatings. Spionid polychaetes feed at the sediment-water interface using a pair of ciliated palps and switch between surface deposit feeding and suspension feeding primarily as a function of water flow. Juveniles and adults of some spionid species have different stable isotopic carbon signals, indicating the ingestion of different food sources and potentially the ability to differentiate organic cues ontogenetically. In the present study, the feeding responses of juvenile and adult Streblospio benedicti Webster to seven organic coatings bound to glass microbeads were tested using five amino acids and two carbohydrates. Coated versus uncoated particles were presented in equal proportions based upon surface area. Juveniles and adults were highly selective for all seven types of organically coated beads—87.1% of all beads ingested were organically coated beads. For two of the organic coatings, there were ontogenetic differences; juveniles were more selective of threonine and adults were more selective of proline. These differences may result in ontogenetic diet shifts that allow maximization of energy and/or essential nutrients during critical early life-history stages. Particle selection in tentaculate surface deposit feeders is generally thought to occur primarily during particle contact and transport to the mouth, and is typically characterized as a passive process. Active particle selection at the site of the everted pharynx was observed and quantified for S. benedicti. Organically coated particles represented 50% of the ambient experimental treatment, 64.4% of the particles transported along the palp after contact, and 81.8% of the particles ingested after pharyngeal rejection behavior. Of the beads reaching the pharynx, 26.9% were rejected by ciliary sorting on the pharynx before ingestion, and 81.8% of the rejected beads at the site of the pharynx were uncoated. Our study demonstrates that microphagous feeders that generally handle food particles in bulk are capable of significant levels of active selection for organically coated particles.     

Natural gums of plant origin as edible coatings for food industry applications

Natural plant-based gums and their derivatives are widely utilized in food industries, however, their applications as edible coatings to extend fresh fruits and vegetable shelf-life has been explored recently. These natural polymeric polysaccharides have many advantages as compared to synthetic polymers, because they are biodegradable, nontoxic, economical and easily available in the environment. Natural gums can also be semi synthetically modified to produce derivatives, which can easily compete with the synthetic preservatives available on the food market. In this review, the recent developments in the use of natural gums and their derivatives as edible coatings have been explored and discussed.     

Epilithozoan fauna associated with ferromanganese crustgrounds on the continental slope segment between Capri and Li Galli Islands (Bay of Salerno, Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

The epilithozoan fauna associated with Quaternary Fe–Mn crustgrounds sampled off Capri and Li Galli Islands is described. During the Quaternary, the interplay among the tectonically induced topography, sea-current patterns, and the changing physical-chemical properties of the water column promoted conditions favouring Fe–Mn oxide accumulation. In the samples dredged between 510–263 m depth (DRA 7), 207–201 m depth (DRA 5) and 358–65 m depth (DRA 4), where the Fe–Mn coating covers all rock surfaces, the distribution of the epilithozoan taxa is polarized: on the upper smooth surface of the crustgrounds the most abundant inhabitants are foraminifers, while on the lower rough surface corals, bivalves, bryozoans and brachiopods occur. Sponges are mainly able to bioerode the rough lower surfaces. Samples are riddled by boring ichnogenera including Entobia and Maeandropolydora. Fe–Mn oxide precipitation is still active today as shown by the frontal shield preservation of the bryozoan Puellina cf. pseudoradiata Harmelin and Aristegui, 1988, where it is possible to identify different stages of accretion. Botryoidal ongoing accretion is evident only in some taxa, namely Bryozoa and Polychaeta species, and Foraminifera morphotypes, which appear to keep pace with precipitation when it occurs.     

Permeability and reactivity of Thermotoga maritima in latex bimodal blend coatings at 80°C: a model high temperature biocatalytic coating

Thermostable polymers cast as thin, porous coatings or membranes may be useful for concentrating and stabilizing hyperthermophilic microorganisms as biocatalysts. Hydrogel matricies can be unstable above 65°C. Therefore a 55-m thick, two layer (cell coat + polymer top coat) bimodal, adhesive latex coating of partially coalesced polystyrene particles was investigated at 80°C using Thermotoga maritima as a model hyperthermophile. Coating permeability (pore structure) was critical for maintaining T. maritima viability. The permeability of bimodal coatings generated from 0.8 v/v of a suspension of non-film-forming 800 nm polystyrene particles with high glass transition temperature (T_g= 94°C, 26.9% total solids) blended with 0.2 v/v of a suspension of film-forming 158 nm polyacrylate/styrene particles (T_g –5°C, 40.9% total solids) with 0.3 g sucrose/g latex was measured in a KNO₃ diffusion cell. Diffusivity ratio remained above 0.04 (D_eff/D) when incubated at 80°C in artificial seawater (ASW) for 5 days. KNO₃ permeability was corroborated by cryogenic-SEM images of the pore structure. In contrast, the permeability of a mono-dispersed acrylate/vinyl acetate latex Rovace SF091 (T_g~10°C) rapidly decreased and became impermeable after 2 days incubation in ASW at 80°C. Thermotoga maritima were entrapped in these coatings at a cell density of 49 g cell wet weight/liter of coating volume, 25-fold higher than the density in liquid culture. Viable T. maritima were released from single-layer coatings at 80°C but accurate measurement of the percentage of viable entrapped cells by plate counting was not successful. Metabolic activity could be measured in bilayer coatings by utilization of glucose and maltose, which was identical for latex-entrapped and suspended cells. Starch was hydrolyzed for 200 h by latex-entrapped cells due to the slow diffusion of starch through the polymer top coat compared to only 24 h by suspended T. maritima. The observed reactivity and stability of these coatings was surprising since cryo-SEM images suggested that the smaller low T_g polyacrylate/styrene particles preferentially bound to the T. maritima toga-sheath during coat formation. This model system may be useful for concentrating, entrapment and stabilization of metabolically active hyperthermophiles at 80°C.     

Enhancing bioplastic-substrate interaction via pore induction and directed migration of enzyme location

We demonstrate two novel approaches to enhance interactions of polymer-immobilized biomolecules with their substrates. In the first approach, diisopropylfluorophosphatase (DFPase) containing poly(urethane) (PU) coatings were made microporous by incorporating, then extracting, poly(ethylene glycol)-based diesters as porogens. Incorporation of 2% w/w porogen increased the effective diffusion coefficient of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) through the coatings by 30% and increased the apparent turnover number of immobilized DFPase 3-fold. In the second approach, prior to immobilization, hydrophobic modification of DFPase was achieved through its conjugation with a dimer/trimer mixture of a uretdione based on 1,6-diisocyanatohexane. When the hydrophobically modified DFPase was immobilized in coatings, catalytic activity was 4-fold higher than that of the equivalent, immobilized, native DFPase. This activity enhancement was independent of the presence or absence of pores. Confocal microscopy images of coatings containing fluorescently labeled lysozyme show that the native enzyme is distributed uniformly over the entire thickness of the coatings. Hydrophobically modified and fluorescently labeled lysozyme is accumulated only in the upper 10 microm cross-sectional layer of a 100 microm-thick coating. Interactions of bioplastics with their substrates are tunable either by pore induction in a polymer or by directed migration of the hydrophobically modified biomolecule to the desired location. The latter approach has broad implications, including overcoming mass transfer limitations experienced by immobilized biocatalysts.     

涂料微生物污染与防腐剂使用情况关系的探讨

为了解涂料的微生物污染与防腐剂使用情况之间的关系,按照ISO 9252-1989(E)检测207件市售涂料微生物指标,利用高效液相色谱检测有微生物检出涂料和40件无微生物检出涂料的防腐剂使用情况。结果发现有12件涂料微生物超标;异噻唑啉酮类防腐剂是本实验检出使用最多的防腐剂;微生物超标涂料防腐剂含量比正常低或者未检测到,种类单一。涂料的防腐剂使用情况与微生物污染程度有着密切的联系,建议建立和完善涂料限用防腐剂标准,指导涂料企业安全生产和质量监督。     

Variation in adhesion strength of Balanus eburneus,crassostrea virginica and hydroides dianthus to fouling‐release coatings

This study compared the shear adhesion strength of barnacles, oysters and tubeworms on eight RTV 11‐based silicone fouling‐release coatings containing different silicone oil additives. It was found that adhesion strength differed among species and coating types. In most cases, oysters and tubeworms had higher adhesion strengths than barnacles. Barnacle adhesion strength was reduced on all coatings containing oil additives; however, this was not generally true for oysters and tubeworms. The difference in the adhesion strength among the three organisms tested in this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the fundamental interaction between marine invertebrate adhesives and the substratum.