International. EU-funded researchers are working on creating biofouling coatings for ships and marine infrastructure that will be cost-effective and more environmentally friendly.
The four-year Seafront project, launched in 2014, tested new processes and methods designed to accurately understand the mechanisms of biofouling and find the ideal ways to solve this problem. Their work will contribute to the development of a new generation of technologies against biofouling that will be able to reduce this phenomenon in marine infrastructures and tools without prejudice to ecosystems.
"It is still too early to talk about concrete results, but we have already attracted the interest of several companies looking for anti-fouling technologies for their boats, stationary applications, fishing nets and cables," said Dr. Arie Brouwer, seafront project coordinator and member of the Dutch Polymer Institute (Netherlands). "We are confident that the companies and scientific institutes participating in the project will benefit from developing the ability to create new products and services."
"The Seafront project hopes to develop coatings that improve the prevention and elimination of biofouling by 50%, which will be measured with newly created testing technologies," explained Dr. Brouwer. "Coatings that greatly attenuate hydrodynamic resistance and improve operational efficiency will also be designed."
The researchers say that all proposals will be environmentally friendly, sustainable and expandable and will limit the release of biocides, hydrocarbons and heavy metals into the marine environment. Seafront's technology will also take into account environmental regulations.
Learn more at http://seafront-project.eu/
