Focus on marine: Australia leads the way in marine coatings inspired by nature

Barbara Barkhausen in Sydney and John Pagni in Helsinki report on developments and innovations within the marine coatings industry

Australia is at the forefront of developing innovative marine coatings that draw inspiration from nature. These have the potential to not only protect ships from biofouling but also reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% by mimicking the properties of streamlined natural surfaces.  

The development of nature-inspired slippery surfaces can significantly decrease the likelihood of micro-organisms, barnacles or algae attaching themselves to ships, which can slow and damage vessels.  

They also allow ships to avoid using traditional antifouling coatings containing arsenic and cyanide, which cause considerable damage to the environment when these poisons leak into the ocean.   

However, more environmentally friendly, organic biocides and silicone-based coatings are not without their drawbacks, according to Peter Sims, Director at UK-based Ecosea, a company producing protective and antifouling coatings for the shipping industry, that has by now been acquired by the US-based pipe and vessel fabricator Hallmark Industrial Supply. Mr Sims strengthened his reputation by in 2004 by developing Cuprotect, a long-term bio-fouling protection for ships, which uses the metallurgical, non-corroding properties of copper alloys. According to Mr Sims, not every coating is suitable for all vessels and although most newer products do not release harmful chemicals into the sea, some are complex to use and others require production methods that are not themselves environmentally friendly.  

So, there is no panacea but “there is an enormous amount of research conducted by or with the help of the major marine coatings companies,” noted Sims. For example, last July (2022), Flinders University, in Adelaide, Australia, unveiled a new training centre to research biofilms and develop solutions to prevent biofouling on ship hulls. The university’s ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation was established thanks to an Australian dollar AU$5M (US$3.4M) Industrial Transformation Research Program (1), in addition to attracting AU$7.65M (US$5.2M) from industry and key research partners (2).  

Swimming with sharks

Moreover, Sydney-based advanced manufacturing company MicroTau has developed a lightweight film by using patterned light to create microscopic structures reflecting the drag-reducing texture found on the skin of sharks. The company has spent seven years developing the film, which is made with a photolithographic technique like computer microchip manufacturing processes. The company initially designed the products for the aviation industry but has adapted the innovation to the maritime sector over the past two years. MicroTau’s Communications Manager Duncan Bell told PPCJ: “Because microstructures can increase biofouling, and biofouling increases drag, our marine product is manufactured with a non-biocidal material that is specifically intended to make the surface too slippery for marine growth to adhere to, preserving the drag-reducing capability of the microstructures.” The film, which can be applied during scheduled maintenance, is particularly recommended for bulk carriers, container ships and tankers. It has attracted finance from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), an organisation set up by the Australian government to facilitate increased flows of finance into the clean energy sector, and venture capitalist Bill Tai. According to the company, the product has the potential to save the commercial shipping industry US$14bn in fuel costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 133 million tonnes annually. The CEFC invested AU$2M (US$1.35M) as part of an AU$5.6M (US$3.8M) seed round. (3)  

However, questions regarding the film’s robustness in terms of abrasion, ease of application and maintenance remain, and Mr Sims is sceptical if the company’s promises can be upheld. MicroTau is also open about the product’s current limitations, with Mr Bell commenting that Mr Sims “has correctly identified the key barriers to commercialisation that we must tackle as a priority.” The Australian company is, therefore, currently looking to partner with manufacturers and operators of marine vessels to better understand customers’ needs and improve deployment methods.