Coppercoat launches 100% plant-based resin base
Aquarius Marine Coatings, manufacturer of Coppercoat antifoul system, is launching a new 100 per cent plant-based epoxy resin base.
The new innovation replaces the resin base with a bio-based version, thus carbon emissions are reduced by 34 per cent, saving 205gm of CO2 for every 500gm of Coppercoat resin produced.
When launched over 30 years ago, Coppercoat was the world’s first water-based and low-VOC epoxy antifoul. Now the new bio-based version further strengthens Coppercoat’s position as ‘the most sustainable and environmentally responsible active antifoul available’.
According to Coppercoat, independent research shows that over a ten-year period, when compared to a typical traditional ablative antifoul paint, the use of Coppercoat reduces VOC emissions, biocidal release, and microplastics pollution by approximately 90 per cent.
Unlike conventional antifoul paints which commonly rely on ablative or self-polishing mechanisms, Coppercoat uses a semi-permanent two-part water-based epoxy resin and ultra-fine pure copper powder. Once cured, it forms a hardcoating with a very low biocidal leach rate. With pure copper, a naturally occurring element, being the only biocide within the coating, and a leach rate of 10 per cent of that of a typical eroding antifoul paint, Coppercoat is renowned to be the most environmentally responsible choice of active antifoul.
Coppercoat says it is unique in the global antifoul coatings market, offering up to 20 years of protection against biofouling from a single application, as a result of its exceptionally low leach rate and durable formulation.
Jayson Kenny, CEO of Aquarius Marine Coatings, says: “Our oceans are responsible for the air we breathe and the food on our plates, yet they are under unprecedented pressure. The future of our seas depends on the decisions we make today. At Coppercoat, we are committed to continuously evolving our products so that protecting hulls and marine structures no longer comes at the expense of the environment. Our vision is simple: cleaner hulls, cleaner seas, healthier coastal ecosystems and a future where protecting vessels and marine structures no longer means unnecessarily polluting the waters we depend upon.”
Josh Major, managing director of Suffolk Yacht Harbour, adds “As a regular applicator of antifoul (typically treating 35 boats a season with Coppercoat), it is vital for the wellbeing of our staff and our location that we use the most environmentally responsible products available. That Coppercoat now has an even lower environmental impact is exciting news and further enhances the sustainability of yachting in our area.”
