Biodegradable polymer as controlled release system of organic antifoulant to prevent marine biofouling

Controlled release of antifoulant is critical for marine antibiofouling. We have prepared polyurethane with degradable polyester segments consisting of poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA), poly(1,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) or poly(1,6-hexamethylene adipate) (PHA) and used it as the release system for organic antifoulants. The degradation rate of the polyurethane increases with the content of the degradable segments. On the other hand, as the segments change from PEA, PBA to PHA, the degradation rate decreases because the crystallinity increases but the ester group density decreases. Such degradable polyurethane allows the antifoulants to release at a constant rate, where the release rate can be regulated by varying the polyester segments. Marine field tests reveal that the polyurethane-antifoulant system has good antifouling performance. Particularly, the degradable polyurethane exhibits excellent adhesion to the substrate ensuring the long duration of the system.