Objective:
Test and analyze three anti-fouling coatings’ performance in seawater. Develop return on investment (ROI) metrics that demonstrate potential savings that would preclude expensive and time-consuming dive operations or complex robotic hull cleaning efforts.
Summary:
The problem addressed in this project is controlling and mitigating biofouling, and three different vendors will apply their anti-fouling coatings (and variants) onto steel samples. Then NRL will test them at their Miami and Key West corrosion test locations. Barge testing will be conducted for six months of exposure through seawater immersion, and then flow testing will be conducted in seawater flow lab where actual seawater is pumped into a flow chamber.
Key Deliverables / Benefits:
- Test Report, Final Report
- Shipyards’ benefit from having a greater understanding of the performance of three novel AF coatings.
- Provide basis for to a follow-on effort to pursue NAVSEA approval for shipyards to use the coatings based on their demonstrated performance.
Overview
Project Team:
- Hepburn & Sons
- Newport News Shipbuilding
- BIOINTERPHASE
- Scale Materials
- Coval Technologies
- Naval Research Lab
- NAVSEA 05P2
February 2024 – February 2025
NSRP ASE Investment: $110K
