Model Studies of Fouling Release Under Fluctuating Hydrodynamic Stress

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of release of hard foulants from a thincoating bonded to a hard substrate, which would allow us to develop coatings from which the foulants will fall off by their own weights or when the ship is in motion. While the basic approach of this research will be that of fracture mechanics, release under hydrodynamic conditions needs to consider the roles of distributed fluctuating force instead of a concentrated force that has been used in the past to study release phenomena under laboratory conditions. Mathematically, this new situation will call for a Langevin dynamics type description of the release phenomena that will be at the crossroads of surface science, elastic mechanics and fluctuating hydrodynamics. In particular, we will explore physicochemical principles and parameters underlying the release of foulants under hydrodynamic stress fluctuations comparable to those created when the ship is in motion. The study will also explore ways to construct new types of composite coatings that will be tough against wear and tear, yet provide release by weakening the cohesive zone of the crack tip region.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
May 05, 2021
Source ID
N000142112156

Entities

People

  • Manoj K Chaudhury

Organizations

  • Lehigh University
  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Navy

Tags

Readers

  • Materials Science (Mechanical Engineering).
  • Surface Coatings Technology.
  • Theoretical Analysis.