PPG Debuts Fouling Release Coating at Posidonia

PPG announced the launch of SIGMAGLIDE 1290, a 100% silicone binder fouling release system that it said utilizes dynamic surface regeneration technology to eliminate slime problems and increase fuel savings compared to existing fouling release products.

Through chemical engineering of the 100% pure silicone binder system at a molecular level, PPG has been able to design what it calls the optimal configuration for the silicone coating surface.

This results in an increased silicone density at the surface to such a degree that slime organisms do not recognize it as a surface substrate and have no chance to settle on it. This significantly extends the effectiveness of the coating, PPG Said.

One of the well-known drawbacks of fouling release technologies is that their effectiveness reduces over time. This is often seen at the waterline where the impact of sunlight, dirt and UV radiation has a negative effect and leads to the aggregation of slime.

According to PPG, its R&D team has been able to overcome this problem by engineering SIGMAGLIDE 1290 to include dynamic surface regeneration properties. These allow water to act as a catalyst to lower the surface energy of the coating back to its original state and thus restart its beneficial surface configuration properties. As a result, customers will experience no loss in performance and improved stability of the product throughout its lifetime, the manufacturer claims.

The combination of the 100% silicon binder fouling release system with the ability of the surface to dynamically regenerate makes SIGMAGLIDE 1290 a breakthrough technology for the marine coatings market, PPG said.

The product is suitable for all vessel types and also when long stationary periods are to be considered such as FPSOs. It also brings benefits for cruise and ferry operators as well as owners of tankers, bulkers, gas carriers, dredgers and containerships.

Over the past decade, the cruise industry has also benefitted from the SIGMAGLIDE system thanks to a combination of its fuel saving, aesthetic benefits and ability to deliver a fast return on investment. SIGMAGLIDE 1290 builds on the successes of the SIGMAGLIDE fouling release range, which has been utilized on over 400 vessels worldwide including many cruiseships.

As fouling doesn’t adhere, even at lower speed, SIGMAGLIDE 1290 is also beneficial for the offshore industry where assets are static or for vessels that are slow steaming but still require a high level of fouling protection.

As Sijmen Visser, PPG’s Global Marketing Manager Marine commented, “Over the last two decades we have received many spontaneous confirmations from customers of fuel savings in values ranging between 3–13% delivered by our SIGMAGLIDE fouling release products. SIGMAGLIDE 1290 ensures that our customers can now benefit from advanced slime protection and extended fuel savings that go way beyond anything that was previously possible.”