International. In one study, Danish researchers presented a novel method for measuring PEG (Polyethylene glycol) based amphiphile diffusion coefficients from different chemicals in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)-based nonstick coatings.
Amphiphiles (i.e., amphiphilic molecules such as surfactants, block copolymers, and similar compounds) are used in small quantities to modify the surface properties of polymeric materials. In scale-release silicone coatings, PEG-based amphiphiles are added to provide resistance to biological contamination. The success of this method is based on the ability of amphiphiles to diffuse through the coating film and cover the surface of the coating.
The diffusion coefficient of amphiphiles shows a weak dependence on their molecular weight, although this dependence is much less pronounced than for other rubber polymeric materials. The properties of resistance to biological scale in dfouling-release coatings for these amphiphiles were also studied. It was found that the diffusion coefficient has no influence on the results of resistance to biological contamination of the compounds studied. In contrast, the chemistry of the hydrophobic block of amphiphiles is much more significant, with peg-PDMS block copolymers showing the best properties among the compounds studied.
Source: Progress in Organic Coatings.
