Microstructure and Performance of Antibiofouling Coatings on High-Strength Steel Substrates Immersed in the Marine Environment

High-strength naval steel panels were coated by spraying with five commercial antifouling paints. The first set of coated specimens was subjected to electrochemical measurements and the anticorrosion properties of the paints were evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. A second series of coated samples was statically exposed for nine months in thirteen different harbors, located in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, where their in-field antifouling efficiency was determined. The corrosion performance obtained by the electrochemical measurements provides predictions that best match the fouling protection observed at the field sites. The results indicate that the corrosion’s resistivity values determined in the laboratory were in a good agreement with the fouling level observed by examining the sea samples. The reported complementary data show that the laboratory measurements are representative of the sea-field conditions and confirm the originality of the proposed approach, which might lead to the development of innovative low-drag antifouling coatings for the hulls of ships, vessels, and speed crafts.