International.
The Technological Centre for Components (CTC) in Spain and Gaiker IK-4, a technology centre located in the Bizkaia Technology Park (Zamudio), are conducting research with new anti-fouling paints to protect the hulls of large vessels.
The project aims to prevent the adhesion of underwater microorganisms to ships to reduce their friction, with the consequent savings in fuel and the reduction of emissions to the atmosphere. The research will allow the company Irurena Group, specialized in wood coatings, to address a diversification process thanks to the launch of a new product.
The MCTS El Bocal Marine Laboratory hosts this study that tests the behavior of these anti-fouling coatings, based on the sliding technology (Fouling Release) without any biocide. This process, developed from flexible silicones, gives the paints a hydrophobic and non-stick character, so micro-organisms have much more difficulty sticking to ships. Also, in the event that the biofouling is deposited on the hull of the boats, its cleaning is much faster and less expensive. This system is completely respectful of the marine environment and is adapted to the rigorous legality that regulates the emission of marine debris. Currently, it is one of the most promising alternatives in the fight against scale.
The MCTS El Bocal, developed by the CTC in collaboration with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), is a unique facility in Spain and one of the few in Europe in which the effects of the marine environment on different samples can be analyzed in real conditions. The possibility of studying the behavior of the paintings outside a port area and with a lot of tidal movement motivated the decision to move the research from Vizcaya to Cantabria. The Materials and Plastics department of GAIKER-IK4, responsible for the project together with the company IRURENA GROUP, will obtain scalable information on the response of the samples in an environment identical to the real one.
The trial will last six months and, although the MCTS El Bocal allows studies to be carried out in three different marine environments, it will be carried out entirely in the submerged area of the laboratory. Within three and five months, new specimens will be exhibited that will complete the study. The objective of the research is to determine the effectiveness of the different coatings developed in the laboratory during the previous phase of the project. If the study obtains favorable results, IRURENA GROUP will incorporate a new product to its line of Oropal paints.
The collaboration between the CTC and GAIKER-IK4 reinforces the opening of the Cantabrian center to collaborate with other research organizations to put at the service of the business fabric all the capacity of the network of technology centers in northern Spain. The CTC, the only technology center in the region, accompanies companies looking for an innovative solution that allows them to improve their competitiveness in the market and acquire a long-term business dimension.
Source: ctcomponentes.es
