I. What the project is about?
The research project entitled “Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer based Graphene Nanomaterials with Anticorrosion and Antibarnacle properties for Sea Vessel Hull Applications” aims to develop a polymer based nanomaterial coating to prevent the formation of corrosion and attachment of barnacles to the hulls of the ships.
The rusting and proliferation of barnacles on the surface of the hull causes problems to shipping lines, its operation expense and travel safety. The maintenance of ships brought by heavy rusting entails added cost and downtime. The barnacles add drag to the vessels which results to higher energy and fuel consumptions. Roughness caused by micro bio-fouling results in an increase in fuel consumption between 1 to 2%. Shipping vessel move faster through ocean water and consume less fuel when its hulls are uncontaminated and smooth. That is, when it is free from fouling organism like barnacles, algae, or mollusks.
Creating protective layers to ship hulls has gone through many developments. During the early days of seafaring, lime and later on arsenical and mercurial compounds and pesticides were utilized to paint hulls as Antibarnacle protection. By the 1960’s, the chemical industry developed Organotin Compound Tributylin (TBT). However, the use of TBT was found to have environmental consequences. Studies showed that TBT persist in water and in sediments, killing marine organism and possibly entering the food chain. Specifically, TBT was shown to cause shell deformations in oysters, sex changes (imposex) in whelks, and immune response, neurotoxic and genetic effects in other marine species. The application of the said compounds to ship hulls were then prohibited.
II. What the project intends to address including its benefits or impact to the community.
Solving this problem on corrosion and fouling improves ship dynamics and fuel efficiency which in turn equates to savings for the shipping companies and protection to marine environment. Currently, there are Antibarnacle and antirust applications in the market. These applications are normally separate from each other and would require several coatings on the metal sheets, prolonging the time needed to apply them. From the current state of the vessel hulls, the coating’s lifespan is relatively limited. In addition, some of the coatings are still harmful to the environment with the use of metal oxide compounds (e.i. copper oxide and zinc oxide). Copper was found to cause damages to aquatic systems and species even at low levels like 2 ppb. Similar concerns have been raised with zinc/zinc compounds causing it to be banned in several countries.
Ships undergo sandblasting and treatment every 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year depending on ship condition and client requirement. Underwater coating system consists of multiple coats of anti-corrosion and antifouling paints applied to a hull that has been sand-blasted. Depending on client needs, the coatings usually includes 2 primer paint, 1 anti-corrosive coating, and 2 anti-fouling coating. This again entails cost to ship owners.
The solution proposed in the project is a stoichiometric approach in the polymer based nanocomposite material. The material identified is graphene. Graphene has attracted a great deal of scientific interest through the years owing to its unique properties. It is low cost and can be derived from graphene oxide with high yield. Graphene was also found to have excellent chemical resistance, impermeability to gases, adsorption capacity, antibacterial properties, mechanical strength, lubricity, and thermal stability. Currently, graphene applications in coating synthesis is recognized for its corrosion resistant, flame retardant, wear and scratch resistant, antifouling, pollutant adsorption, and antiseptic properties.
The project is found relevant since the Philippines is an archipelagic so there is a significant presence of sea transport and vessels that undergo maintenance. It is projected to reduce maintenance cost and increase the lifespan of the hulls of the vessels. Significant impact on longevity will increase the marketability of Philippine made and repaired ships.
The project aims to synthesize a polymer based graphene nanomaterial, characterize by testing its properties, test for anticorrosion properties, test for Antibarnacle properties, test for environmental acceptance, and viability assessment and business plan development. By conducting a nanoapproach, we expect to increase by twice the life of the coating compared to the current benchmark as adhesion, abrasion, and hardness properties are improved. We expect to reduce the number of coating layers, prevent corrosion and barnacle growth or attachment.
The key project within the Nanocoat business plan to 2017 is the coating of high volume Ship hulls. This new product commercialization will enable the industry to grow into a standalone future, boosted by venture capital.
Project Title: Nanosensors for Rubber Quality Assessment
Project Leader: Dr. Jose Isagani Janairo
Funding: Philippine Council of Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural
Resources Research and Development-Department of
Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST)
I. Abstract
Rubber is an important industry where the Philippines is try to compete. Unfortunately, unfair trade practices have left a bad reputation for the Philippine rubber industry. Unfair trade practices include the utilization of sulfuric acid from battery solution instead of formic acid during rubber coagulation. Thus, the ability to differentiate between these two types of rubber will be of great help in assessing and ensuring the quality of Philippine-made rubber. We plan to develop carbon nanotube-based nanosensors that can differentiate between the two types of rubbers based on their respective electrochemical signatures. The envisioned nanosensors feature portability and ease in operation wherein a red LED bulb will light up whenever the presence of sulfuric acid is detected. Moreover, the project also entails chemical and physical differential characterization of the two rubber types which are expected to help in rubber quality evaluation in the field. The findings of the project will be summarized in a manual which aims to become a handy reference for local rubber traders. By and large, the proposed project is envisioned to help boost the competitiveness of the Philippine rubber industry by promoting quality assessment and assurance.
II. Background
Rubber is one of the most important global commodities. Natural rubber has a whole range of application markets wherein nearly 60% of all rubber consumed in the developed countries is for automobile tires and tubes. The Philippines has been known in the past to be one of the top producing countries of rubber. Having its production in Mindanao, amid endemic insurgency in the sub-region, the Philippines have expanded rapidly over decades to constitute 3.6 % of global output of natural rubber in 1991 where big smallholdings with a high-yield growing output were involved. The Philippines also has a rubber consumption of 183,677 tonnes due to its budding rubber manufacturing sector. [1] Unfortunately, the Philippine rubber industry is beleaguered with unfair trade practices resulting to poor quality of rubber. Good quality rubbers use formic acid for latex coagulation. The preference guarantees a consistent high-quality rubber product with good color, as is the demand of the global market. Thus, formic acid is one of the best coagulants for natural rubber latex in dry rubber production. [2] Meanwhile, the use of sulfuric acid from batteries by local manufacturers has attracted considerable attention amongst rubber manufacturers. The use of the said agent has raised alarm since the excessive use of sulfuric acid has been reported to affect the durability of raw rubbers. Any residue of the acid in the dry rubber may also be harmful and may influence the cure characteristics. [3,4] The production of this low quality rubber has almost blacklisted the country in the world rubber industry as a source of raw material. Rubber companies are now exerting efforts to carefully choose their raw material supplier and even choosing tyre and tube competitors from abroad to avoid these low quality raw material rubbers. In this light, the study aims to develop a field testing device/method which can differentiate cuplumps coagulated using formic against sufuric acid. The development of a nanosensor is herein proposed wherein the difference in the electrochemical signatures between the two types of rubber cuplumps can lead to discrimination.
III. Objectives
The general objective of the project is to develop a method that has the ability to qualitatively discriminate a cuplump formed by using formic acid as opposed to a cuplump formed using a battery solution. It is expected that through the development of such analytical method, the quality of Philippine-produced rubber will improve. In order to achieve this goal, the following specific objectives are:
1.
Identify and characterize chemical and physical differences existing between cuplumps formed by using formic acid and sulfuric acid.
2.
Fabricate carbon nanotubes-based nanosensors which can identify a cuplump formed by using sulfuric acid based on voltammetry.
3.
Develop a manual which will help in the quality assessment of cuplumps prepared in the country..
