Fouling-release Coatings for Warships

Abstract

The International Maritime Organisation, a unit of the United Nations, has approved a resolution to phase out and eventually prohibit the worldwide use of toxic organotin antifouling paints. Thus, there is a compelling need to develop, test, and market eco-friendly hull coatings, which effectively keep ships free of fouling. The replacement for tin coatings will likely be lowtoxicity
copper-based paints, and various toxin-free fouling-release coatings. This paper reviews the composition and mechanism of action of these coatings and gives the strengths and weaknesses of eacb coating, with the aim of clarifying the impact of these coatings on the operation of warships.