International. Gelatinous polymer matrix microparticles containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared with a novel method to obtain quasi-additives for non-flammable antifouling paints with slow-release characteristics.
A w/o type dispersion was made with the aqueous phase of gelatin, urea, silver nitrate and formaldehyde dispersed in flaxseed oil.
This product serves as an additive for coatings in wet conditions.
During its formulation, gelatin was cross-linked by formaldehyde, along with urea, to limit inflammation of the product. Silver nitrate was reduced with the help of gelatin and formaldehyde in homogeneously dispersed AgNPs. The embedded microparticles and AgNPs were visualized through electromicroscopic scanning and transmission. AgNPs encapsulated with crystallites ~18 nm in size were identified by X-ray powder diffraction. The characterization of gelatin-urea-formaldehyde polymer matrices was carried out by attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectroscopy.
Finally, the dissolution of silver from microparticles and paints with AgNP was measured by the inductively coupled plasma spectrometer and resulted in sustained release, compared to unmodified gelatin microparticles and paints containing encapsulated silver salts. The seven-month experiment demonstrated that solvent-based acrylic paint with AgNPs contain gelatinous microparticles as additives that offer resistance against biological contamination in low Ag-release ratio.
