The Effects of Silicone Fluid Additives and Silicone Elastomer Matrices on Barnacle Adhesion Strength

Abstract

Barnacle adhesion strength was used to screen seventy-seven polydimethylsiloxane elastomeric coatings for fouling-release properties. The test coatings were designed to investigate the effect on barnacle adhesion strength of silicone fluid additive type, additive location, additive molecular weight, additive loading level, mixtures of additives, coating matrix type and coating fillers. The type of silicone fluid additive was the primary controlling factor in barnacle fouling-release. The type of silicone matrix in which the fluid resided was found to alter the effect on fouling-release. Two PDMS fluids, DMSC15 and DBE224, significantly reduced the adhesion strength of barnacles compared to unmodified elastomers. Optimum fouling-release performance was dependent on the interaction of fluid type and elastomeric matrix.

Keywords:

• PDMS elastomeric coatings
• silicone fluid additives
• fouling-release
• ASTM D-5618
• adhesion strength
• Balanus eburneus

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Michael Schultz of US Naval Academy for his assistance in the data collection for this project. Appreciation is extended to the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which greatly improved the clarity of this document. This work was supported by General Electric Corporation under funding from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (N00014-96-C-0145) and the Office of Naval Research (N00014-91-J-1465 and N00014-02-10217).