Novel hybrid coating material with triple distinct healing bond for fat oil and grease deposition control in the sewer system

Abstract

Hybrid materials with distinct self-healing bonds are a prominent category of materials, demanding in various modern applications. Developing self-healable hybrid materials with desired self-healing properties at ambient conditions is highly desirable and challenging. Herein, we developed a novel zinc (II)–dimethylglyoxime–urethane-complex-based polyurethane elastomer (Zn-polyurethane hybrid material) with synergetic triple dynamic bonds, which exhibits spontaneous self-healing properties at 30 °C. Moreover, this material shows excellent thermal stability up to approximately 850 °C and is highly stable in water systems. This hybrid material has potential applications in water systems; in this study, we characterized it for fat, oil and grease (FOG) deposition management in sewer systems by applying it as a coating on concrete blocks. The findings indicate that following a 30-day leaching test conducted under controlled pH conditions on uncoated and Zn-polyurethane-coated concrete blocks, a reduction of over 80 % in calcium release was observed in the coated block compared to the uncoated concrete block. Additionally, in FOG deposit formation tests conducted on uncoated and coated concrete blocks for 30 days, a reduction of over 30 % in FOG deposit formation was noted in the coated sample.