Surface Wettability Characteristics of Polymer Blend Coatings

Abstract: Biofouling elicits harm to the marine environment as well as to the surfaces they grow on. To combat this issue, amphiphilic copolymers are used to remove growth safely without causing harm. Polymer blends of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyethylene glycol (PEG), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were then explored using contact angle techniques. Contact angle data revealed PEG, HPC, and PVP have hydrophilic characteristics while PDMS has hydrophobic characteristics. 100:0%-0:100% PDMS-PEG and HPC-PVP blends were made to investigate whether an amphiphilic polymer blend could be made. Contact angle data determined that 80:20-20:80 PDMS-PEG blends were amphiphilic. 100% PDMS and 90:10 PDMS-PEG were hydrophobic while 10:90 PDMS-PEG and 100% PEG were hydrophilic. Contact angle data revealed 100:0-0:100 HPC-PVP were hydrophilic, and no amphiphilic characteristics were found. This study serves as foundational work for the design of tailored polymeric systems for surface modification Keywords: Biofouling elicits, amphiphilic copolymers, polymeric systems. Title: Surface Wettability Characteristics of Polymer Blend Coatings Author: Gabrielle A. Grzymski, Riddhiman Medhi International Journal of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Research ISSN 2348-5736 (Online) Vol. 12, Issue 2, October 2024 - March 2025 Page No: 65-76 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 26-March-2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15088260 Paper Download link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/surface-wettability-characteristics-of-polymer-blend-coatings