Kinetics models for polyacrylamide-graphene oxide composites as antifoulant

Abstract

Antifouling paints are used to protect the surface against these organisms such as algae, sea squirts, and barnacles. According to previous research, fish and seaweeds do not adhere to submerged surfaces using wet and soft hydrogels. The aim of this study is to investigate the temperature effect on the performance of antifouling composites to develop new useful antifouling composites for shipping sector. In this swelling experiment, the behavior of hydrogels produced from polyacrylamide (PAAm) and graphene oxide (GO) was investigated at different temperatures. Free-radical cross-linking copolymerization formed composite, using acrylamide, ammonium persulfate, N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS, Merck), and graphene oxide with various contents. The steady-state fluorescence technique was used for studying the swelling of PAAm-GO composites at various temperatures in pure water. When pyranine fluorescence intensity, I was measured, it decreased until swelling equilibrium was achieved. After the swelling experiment was started, the fluorescence emission (Iem) and scattering light intensities, Isc from different GO content hydrogels were observed by real-time monitoring at various temperatures. Li-Tanaka and Fickian models were used to determine the diffusion coefficients for the swelling experiments in distilled and Marmara Sea Water for 8 and 50 μl of GO content hydrogels, respectively. According to literature, PAAm is utilized as a surface coating material to reduce biofouling, for this reason, this research will show a way to be able to use PAAm inside antifouling paints material for the marine industry.