TAGS: Marine / Protective Coatings Sustainability / Natural Coatings
Svenska Aerogel expands testing of SeaQare®, an advanced technology for antifouling paint in Florida, United States. The aim of this new test is to demonstrate the product’s efficacy in a different geographical and environmental context.
SeaQare® acts as a carrier of copper in antifouling paints for leisure boats and contributes to a controlled release of copper that protects boat hulls from fouling. It is based on amorphous, porous silica with a hydrophilic surface. It has previously showcased remarkable results in two independent static ocean tests carried out in Sweden.
Static Immersion Testing Method
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As we venture into the Florida ocean test, we are proud of the positive and sustainable effect that SeaQare® has already demonstrated in Sweden,” said Pernilla Ståhle, head of R&D at Svenska Aerogel. “
This time, we will be able to study the extraordinary biofouling resistance or coating alternation in a completely different environment as well as in different types of coating formulas.”
The ongoing ocean test in Florida utilizes the same method as the previous Swedish tests, static immersion testing. Static immersion testing exposes materials and coatings to biofouling in a seawater environment, using test panels mounted on PVC frames.
The panels are studied and monitored over several months. They will also be compared with industry standards as well as coatings that are readily available on the US market.
Before being shipped to the United States, the test panels were coated with antifouling paint containing SeaQare® by Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) in Borås. Two different paint formulations were used this time in addition to various optimized formulations of SeaQare®.
Once the panels arrived in the States in mid-May, they were immersed in Port Caneveral by experts from the Center for Corrosion and Biofouling Control, which is part of the Florida Institute of Technology. The panels will be inspected every two months until the test ends in September. The first evaluation is scheduled for mid-July.
At the same time as the expanded testing of SeaQare®, Svenska Aerogel continues with its patent application for the product. The company submitted a PCT application in July 2023.
Source: Svenska Aerogel