(29e) Fungally and Bacterially Antifouling Coatings for Galvanized Steel Surfaces

Galvanized steel is wildly used for food production process because of the coated Zinc to provide enhanced corrosion resistance and low cost. However, in the presence of fungus, bacteria and their metabolites, the rusty rate of galvanized steel will increase. Also, pathogenic fungus and bacterial contamination and cross-contamination on the food contact surfaces will cause serious health issues. Herein, we report a antifouling coating on galvanized steel surfaces which possesses anticorrosion and antifouling properties against pathogenic fungus and bacteria. This coating relies on the synergistic effect achieved through the combination of nanotexture and low surface energy chemical modification on galvanized steel surfaces to render them superhydrophobic. The nanotexture and chemistry of the coated galvanized steel surfaces were characterized with several techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy – attenuated total reflectance (FTIR–ATR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At first, Aspergillus niger fungi which contaminated the surface area of bare steel (B-steel) coupons, was effectively prevented from proliferating on superhydrophobic steel surfaces (SH-steel). In addition, the self-cleaning property of the superhydrophobic coating reduced mud adhesion on coupons by more than an order of magnitude. Meanwhile, upon applying the coating, the attachment of both gram-negative Salmonella enterica Typhimurium LT2 and gram-positive Listeria innocua model bacterial pathogens decreased more than 99.3%, compared to B-steel surfaces. Furthermore, utilizing the developed coating, the rate of corrosion in the presence of Salmonella bacteria was also reduced by more than 50%. Moreover, the method used to produce this coating on galvanized steel is both versatile and scalable, including inert and biocompatible components. Overall, we anticipate that the coating technology could represent a significant contribution to both the fields of food safety and the healthcare industry by mitigating the risks and economic burdens associated with microorganism contamination and corrosion.