Development of marine antifouling performance in hard fouling-release coatings

Marine biofouling is a substantial economic and environmental issue. Hard fouling-release coatings present a promising solution, combining fouling-release characteristics with durability. This study tested proprietary hard fouling-release prototype coatings from GIT Coatings, Inc. alongside uncoated controls, colour controls, and commercial performance standards. Three successive experiments were completed, incorporating static and dynamic flow conditions at sites in Nova Scotia, Canada. Initially, biofouling percent cover and cleanability for prototype coatings were comparable to untreated controls. By the final experiment, prototype coatings had significantly lower percent covers than both uncoated controls and the durability performance comparison, Ecospeed. Furthermore, several prototype hard fouling-release coatings had comparable percent cover (and possibly cleanability) to the fouling-release performance comparison, Intersleek. The results indicate that hard fouling-release coatings with potentially greater durability and longevity can achieve similar fouling-release performance as commercial fouling-release coatings. Further tests are needed to determine if unintended toxicity contributes to the antifouling effects.