Intersleek 1100SR Coating Wins RINA – QinetiQ Award

The first RINA – QinetiQ Maritime Innovation Award, jointly sponsored by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) and QinetiQ, has been presented to International Paint, for the development of its new advanced fluoropolymer foul release coating, Intersleek®1100SR.

Intersleek®1100SR is the shipping industry’s first patented biocide-free, fluoropolymer-based coating technology designed specifically to tackle ‘slime’.

Slime is a complex, varied and dynamic community of organisms that can begin to colonise submerged surfaces in minutes, but is invisible to the naked eye. Once slime has developed on the hull of a vessel it has the potential to start increasing hull resistance immediately, thereby raising fuel consumption and environmentally harmful emissions.

It is estimated that the effects of slime cost the shipping industry around $28.6 billion in additional fuel costs, and generate an extra 134 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, every year.

Intersleek®1100SR slime release technology delivers outstanding fouling control with good static resistance even in warm waters. Any slime built up during static periods is released by the movement of the vessel through water.

The technology is the culmination of a three-year research programme involving a multi-disciplinary team of marine biologists, hydrodynamicists and polymer scientists, four years of laboratory testing and the extensive analysis of vessel performance data.

According to RINA Chief Executive, Trevor Blakeley, “The maritime industry today is facing many challenges as it responds to the increasing demands of operators, regulators and society for greater efficiency, safety and the protection of the environment. Meeting these challenges will require innovative thinking in all sectors of the industry.”

In an industry which is highly dependent on technology, research and development is vital in providing ships and marine structures which cost less to design, build and operate, are safer, and are more sensitive to the environment. Trevor Blakeley adds: “The research carried out by engineers and scientists in universities and industry is critical to pushing forward the boundaries of design, construction and operation of marine vessels and structures. Intersleek®1100SR is a successful example of the innovative research and development that the RINA – QinetiQ Maritime Innovation Award is intended to recognise and applaud.”

[mappress]
May 16, 2014