Conference of Mats R. Andersson : Anti-biofouling : Selective copper uptake and release in seawater
Date, Location
Thursday May 16th, 2019 at 10:00AM.
Amphi M001, University of Toulon
Abstract
The use of copper based coatings to prevent biological growth has been widely practiced in the past. However, leaching of the copper has increased the concentrations in harbours/marinas and affecting marine life and the environment. It is therefore timely to develop a sustainable method in which no copper is added to the sea. Herein, we are proposing the use of cross linked polyethylene mine (PEI) coated on conducting carbon cloth as a copper adsorbing material and electrochemically triggered release of copper. Our approach is to use copper-binding polymers to capture the copper naturally present in the sea, and release it upon an electric stimulus, creating a biocidal copper flux across the coating–water interface. This would form a never-ending cycle of copper uptake and release.
