Characterization of chemically active antifouling paints using electrochemical impedance spectrometry and erosion tests

The water sorption and solubility parameters of chemically active paints were studied by electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS) measurements. Erodible acrylic-based coatings containing biocidal tertiary amines were investigated. Results from EIS measurements show that both the water sorption at saturation and the apparent water diffusion coefficient decrease as the alkyl chain length of the biocidal amines increases from 8 to 16 carbon atoms. The increase of the hydrophobic character of the resulting coatings results to a higher resistance to erosion. Erosion tests performed under static and dynamic conditions show that the seawater conditions can markedly affect the performance of chemically active paints. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.