Silicon-Containing Epoxy Composites and Their Use in Marine Coatings Technology

Preparation of silicon-containing epoxy composites with unique properties using silanes, siloxanes, silica, and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) was considered. Analysis shows that oligomeric and polymeric siloxanes with terminal and internal reactive functional groups are promising for decreasing the surface energy, increasing the contact angle with water, and enhancing the elasticity, heat resistance, and anticorrosive and antifouling properties of the coatings. It is appropriate to use organosilicon adhesion promoters with various functional groups in multilayer coating systems for enhancing the interlayer adhesion, improving the compatibility of (nano)microfillers with the polymer matrix, and thus making the coatings more durable. This opens wide possibilities for using silicon-containing composites of new generation in the technology of anticorrosive and antifouling coatings and also as electronics materials, materials with decreased flammability, semipermeable membranes, spacecraft coatings, etc.