Antifouling solutions offer solace.

Recent developments in antifouling coating technologies have given ocean-going vessel owners and managers genuine opportunities for operating cost savings on scales not seen in the past.

In order to best understand what savings can be obtained from future dry-dock applications it is worth reviewing a little of the past and the chemistries developed so that correct specification choices can be made from a more informed platform. Pre the 1980's ship's bottom antifouling compositions were basically all about loading as much toxin ( in the form of insoluble pigments ) into a coatings resin structure as physically possible and getting it to "leach" out at a rate determined as viable in relation to expected service intervals between dry dockings. Copper oxide was the toxic pigment of choice at that time and indeed is still in use today giving the more conventional antifoulings their traditional red hue. However, service intervals pre-fouling were limited and the spent resin matrix after the copper oxide was used up proved to be an ideal substrate for all forms of fouling organism. Clearly there was a need for more sophisticated coating systems as dry-docking intervals were extended by class up to 60 months. During such research, quite by accident as with most scientific breakthroughs, experimentation using acrylic based co-polymers with toxic components (tri-butyl tin methacrylates) to boost biocide capabilities proved to yield major additional benefits. This was due to the relative solubility of these co-polymers in sea water and hence the ability to constantly re-generate a toxic surface to sea-borne organisms, thereby providing a smoother surface over time. The latter property proved to be very significant and the first breakthrough on the potential for fuel savings. Hence the tern SPC (self polishing co-polymer) was born. These coatings sold like hot cakes until marine biologists discovered the environmental downsides and organo-tin containing SPC's were banned leading us into today's so called "tin free" era. From the millennium onwards manufacturers' antifouling systems could no longer rely on boosted biocide packages and more and more emphasis became placed on surface topography of the coating. Leading the performance field today are the so called "fouling release" systems which are not only biocide-free but also fully capable of yielding quantifiable extended fuel savings to all types of vessels whatever the speed. This by virtue of their "non stick" capabilities and in third-generation systems hydrogels actually fool the organisms into thinking the coating is water so they just don't adhere. They are also suitable for coating propellers to further enhance efficiencies. For those owners or operators not concerned with longer-term dry-docking intervals and subsequent payback periods there is also a comprehensive range of "tin free" technology available incorporating so called "nano capsule technology," fiber reinforced resin systems and new and novel resin chemistries such as silated acrylic polymers to boost performance and longevity. In short, the A/F market has never been better for the buyer with genuine returns on investments in antifouling coating systems possible with environmental compliance built in. The grid matrix below is a snapshot of system availabilities and expected service lifetimes. Obviously availability and specialty varies from vendor to vendor but hopefully this will assist in the selection process and enable ship-owners, managers and operators to make a more informed choice.

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