Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

Project's information

Project's title	Research on fabrication of modified ethyl silicate coating by APTES with antifouling properties integrated with corrosion resistance on steel substrates
Project’s code	VAST07.03/24-25
Research hosting institution	Institute of Oceanography
Project leader’s name	ThS. Nguyen Hoang
Project duration	01/01/2024 - 30/06/2026
Project’s budget	595.000.000 đ
Classify	Grade A
Goal and objectives of the project	The antifouling and anticorrosion properties were integrated in a single coating using Zn pigment (composed of a mixture of spherical Zn and flake ZnAl alloy) containing Cu₂O on ethyl silicate film former modified with 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APTES)
Main results	Theoretical results: The effects of Zn and Cu₂O in the integrated coating were evaluated, in which increasing the spherical Zn content increased the release rate of both Zn and Cu. In addition, increasing the Cu₂O content increased the release rate of Cu. Applied results: The dual effect of anti-corrosion and anti-fouling performance of ethyl silicate integrated coating using Zn and Cu₂O pigments was improved when Zn and Cu₂O contents were 40 and 10 wt%, respectively. Then, the anti-fouling performance of the integrated coating was maintained for 9-12 months with the hard fouling area below 25%.
Novelty and actuality and scientific meaningfulness of the results	- The influence of Zn spherical content on the properties of the integrated coating was investigated, from which the appropriate Zn spherical content of 40 wt% was selected to have a higher protective effect than the contents of 30 and 50 wt%. - The influence of Cu₂O content on the properties of the integrated coating was investigated, from which the appropriate Cu₂O spherical content of 10 wt% was selected to have a higher protective effect than the contents of 5 and 20 wt%. - In addition, the results also showed that Zn spherical pigment used in the integrated coating can control the release rate of Cu₂O toxins.
Products of the project	- Scientific papers in referred journals (list): 1. Hoang, N., Khoa, T.A., Nhung, L.T., Phuong, P.M., Thinh, P.D., Linh, N.N., Van Chi, N. and Nguyen, T.D., 2024. The effect of spherical Zn of Cu₂O/ZnAl embedded into ethyl silicate coatings for corrosion and fouling protection of steel. Chemical Papers, 78(17), pp.9273-9285. 2. Hoang, N., Khoa, T.A., Nhung, L.T., Phuong, P.M., Thinh, P.D., Tien, D.P.T., Nguyen, M.T. and Nguyen, T.D., 2025. High Antifouling Performance of Coatings Based on Cu₂O and Flake ZnAl Composite for Steel Protection. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 34(21), pp.25775-25786. 3. Nguyen Hoang, Truong Anh Khoa, Le Thi Nhung, Phan Minh Phuong, Tran Van Huynh, Khanh Minh Chau, Nguyen Tran Duy Nguyen, 2025. Bilayer Zn-primer/Cu₂O-topcoat ethyl silicate coating: a promising approach for combined marine corrosion and fouling resistance. Vietnam Journal of Marine Science and Technology (Manuscript accepted for publication by the standing Editorial Board and is currently in the proofreading and publication process, as announced on June 30, 2026). 4. Nguyen Hoang, Le Thi Nhung, Truong Anh Khoa, Pham Duc Thinh. Overview of new methods and trends in corrosion and fouling protection for materials in marine environments, Conference Proceedings: Materials science serving national modernization and international integration; On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; (2025), ISBN: 987-604-357-356-5. 5. Truong Anh Khoa, Le Thi Nhung, Phan Minh Phuong, Pham Duc Thinh, Nguyen Ngoc Linh, Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Nguyen Hoang. The effect of Zn on the electrochemical properties and antifouling performance of ethyl silicate coatings. Journal of Analytical Chemistry, Physics and Biology - Volume 30, Issue 2A/2024. - Technological products (describe in details: technical characteristics, place):
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