Preparation and characterization of a hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxane based anti-fouling coating

A hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxane was synthesized via hydrolytic polycondervsation between methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), with hydrochloride acid as catalyst. FTIR, ¹H NMR, ²⁹Si NMR, and GPC measurements confirmed that the polyethoxysiloxane synthesized was indeed a hyperbranched polymer with a degree of branching of 0.67. It was also found that there were no silanol groups in polymer matrix. This quality can effectively enhance its storage stability. Based on the hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxane, a novel antifouling coating with high curing speed at ambient temperature was developed. The recipe and other technique parameters of the coating were revealed and investigated. Experiments indicate that the coating performs well as an antifouling agent and can be applied to various ceramic products. By using scanning electron microscope (SEM) to inspect the surface of a polished tile applied with the coating, the antifouling mechanism was studied and the results were explained in accordance with the penetrating and cross-linking of the macromolecules of hyperbrached polyethoxysiloxane into the microdefects on the surface of tiles.