Development of Marine antifouling coatings

Antifouling coatings for underwater hulls are a very important topic in coating research. Effective hull coatings determine the performance factors including speed, fuel consumption, and weight of a vessel. Controlling fouling using an antifouling paint containing biocides is the most common way of keeping hulls as efficient as possible; however, restrictions on the use of biocide-releasing coatings have made the generation of nontoxic antifouling surfaces more important. This chapter specifically focuses on recent developments in antifouling coatings and summarizes the main types of antifouling products used through history up to the present time. Consideration is also briefly made of the main basic mechanisms by which different types of antifouling paints work. Finally, a number of current researches on antifouling technologies are presented.