Research Publications

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Sustainable antifouling coating technologies for the maritime industry: An evolutionary overview
(Progress in Organic Coatings | Elsevier, 2025-12-08) Anirban Chakraborty, C. Pradeep Raja, Sachin Kumar Badhan, Pankaj Sharma
Biofouling of marine submerged structures due to the colonization of marine micro and macro-organisms continues to pose severe operational and ecological challenges. Traditional antifouling paints containing Tributyl Tin and Cybutryne were banned by the International Maritime Organization in 2008 and 2023 respectively due to their toxicity to marine ecosystem. Currently available antifouling paints fall into two broad categories: ablative or sloughing paints used for smaller vessels, and hard coat paints, such as vinyl and epoxy coatings, used for larger ships. Functionally, these coatings can be grouped into Foul release coatings, Protein resistant coatings, and the more recent Bioinspired coatings. This paper presents a consolidative review of modern antifouling coating technologies and their transition from conventional chemical formulations to advanced, biologically inspired and data-driven approaches. Eight major fabrication and surface engineering techniques, including deposition, templating, etching, electrostatic deposition, nanocomposite synthesis, additive manufacturing, micromachining, and self-assembly, have been discussed with reference to their antifouling mechanisms, benefits, and limitations. Special focus is given to laser-based micromachining methods, which enables precise modification of micro and nanoscale surface topographies. The review also explores the development of hybrid organic and inorganic coating systems, multifunctional and environmentally responsive materials, and the application of computational and machine learning tools for predictive design and accelerated testing of antifouling coatings. By combining these experimental and computational strategies, the study outlines a coherent direction for the creation of next generation coating systems that exhibit structural innovation, self-repairing capability, and intelligent performance. The paper concludes that collaborative research between laboratory scientists and the maritime industry will be essential for developing durable, effective, and environmentally sustainable antifouling solutions for future marine applications.
Failure analysis of antifouling paints on ships hull
(NISCAIR-CSIR, India, 2014-11) Joshi, Madhu; Mukherjee, A.; Misra, S. C.; Ramesh, U. S.
Fouling on ships hull occurs due to the attachment of barnacles, mollusks and other aquatic organisms on the underwater area of the hull. This leads to increased drag, fuel consumption, resulting in unscheduled dry-docking. Recent advances in antifouling (AF) paints, in general, offer protection against fouling in about 95 % of the vessels immersed surface. However, the remaining area which amounts to 5% or less of the total area does get fouled. Although this level of fouling has marginal impact on the routine performance of the vessel, it is a predominant vector for the transmigration of invasive species which is a serious environmental concern. Virtually all ocean going vessels are coated with antifouling paints, predominant among them are “Self polishing coatings”. These coatings depend on the shear forces on the hull surface caused by the motion of the vessel for the paint to “polish” away and release a biocide at a predetermined rate that results in the hull to be essentially fouling free. Currently hulls are coated with a uniform layer of antifouling paints. However, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis conducted on various types of vessels have indicated that there are certain “hotspots” where shear stresses and therefore the polishing rates are exceedingly high which would polish the AF paints at a much faster rate and ultimately result in the failure of the AF coating. The analysis also indicates that these hotspots primarily depend on the profile of the vessels, its speed and its draft. The current practice of a uniform coat of AF paint does not take into account the fact that there are certain areas of the vessel where the polishing rates are excessive. A possible solution to this issue is to first identify these hotspots and suitable paint schemes/formulations are to be applied in these areas. Such painting schemes would prevent the premature failure of the AF coating in general and significantly reduce the risk of transmigration of invasive species.
Antifouling paint schemes for green ships
(Ocean Engineering, 2019) Mukherjee, A.; Madhu, Joshi; Misra, S. C.; Ramesh, U. S.
Recent advances in antifouling (AF) paints in general prevent fouling in about 95% of the vessel's immersed surface. However the remaining area which amounts to 5% or less of the total area does get fouled. Although this level of fouling has marginal impact on the routine performance of the vessel it is a predominant vector for the transmigration of invasive species which is now a serious environmental concern. Virtually all ocean going vessels are coated with antifouling paints predominant among them are “Self polishing coatings”. CFD analysis conducted on various types of vessels have indicated that there are certain “hotspots” where the polishing rates are exceedingly high and would polish the AF paints at a much faster rate and ultimately result in the failure of the AF coating. A possible solution to this issue is to first identify these hotspots and suitable paint schemes/formulations are to be applied in such areas. An experimental procedure utilizing a “drum-test” apparatus can be used to compute the coating thicknesses based on wall shear stresses. Such painting schemes would prevent the premature failure of the AF coating in general and significantly reduce the risk of transmigration of invasive species in particular.

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