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Fatbergs fighter: New self-healing zinc coating cuts sewer clogging by 30% | In lab tests, the coated concrete showed a 30% reduction in fat, oil, and grease buildup.

The researchers have developed a zinc-enhanced polyurethane coating that significantly reduces fat, oil, and grease build-up in sewer pipes.

“The reduction of fat, oil and grease build-up can be attributed to the significantly reduced release of calcium from coated concrete, as well as less sticking of FOG on the coating surface compared to the rough, uncoated concrete surface,” said Biplob Pramanik, Director of Water: Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Centre at RMIT. “Traditional coatings like magnesium hydroxide, widely used for over two decades, are effective in controlling sewer corrosion but can inadvertently contribute to FOG build-up by interacting with fatty acids,” Pramanik explained. As per the, the researchers are now developing an enhanced coating designed to further reduce FOG deposition by improving its self-healing capabilities and mechanical strength.

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