STTR Phase II: The Next Generation of Environmentally Friendly Coatings for Marine Antifouling

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is the development of a novel non-toxic antifoulant that keeps the hulls of vessels clear of biofouling without the environmental harm imposed by today's current antifoulant products. Biofouling is the accumulation of algae, barnacles, and other marine organisms on underwater surfaces such as the hulls of ships and boats. A ship with a biofouled hull experiences drag, which slows it down and drives up fuel consumption by as much as 40%. For the global shipping industry, this increase imposes an annual fuel cost penalty of $36 billion. Moreover, the excess fuel consumption due to biofouling adds 386 million tons of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Over 90% of antifoulants in the market today contain copper, a toxic biocide harmful to the marine ecosystem. This project will develop a competitive antifoulant which avoids harmful environmental impacts. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project develops a first-of-its-kind antifouling marine coating that is high-performing and safe for use in aquatic ecosystems. This antifouling coating contains no biocides but delivers antifouling performance matching that of the market leading copper coatings. The novel coating consists of a hydrophilic polymeric material that is naturally antifouling. It prevents biofouling by creating a liquid barrier around a surface which masks the surface from fouling marine organisms. While other hydrophilic coatings are notoriously unstable in aqueous environments, this innovation includes a method of application that helps to greatly increase the coating's stability and durability. The objectives of this Phase II project are to tune the formulation of the novel coating to meet marine end user performance requirements and regulatory benchmarks and to demonstrate small-batch production capabilities. The outcome of this work will be a rigorously tested, ready high-performing eco-friendly antifouling solution. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.