Ecofriendly Antifouling Marine Coatings

Foul release coatings were first used on vessels in the early 1990s, but despite early excitement about the technology, they have had a prolonged modest market share due to high cost and poorer performance when compared to biocidal marine coatings. Recently, these coatings are experiencing a renaissance. Accelerated progress based on nanochemistry has enabled the synthesis of ecofriendly coatings with improved foul release performance, and also antifouling properties. This study aims to provide an holistic overview of the research achievements that are driving the emerging commercially available nonbiocidal technologies for both large and small vessels.