Transparent Antifouling Coatings

The present project aims at designing a transparent, antifouling coating for use on solar cells and sensors on underwater drones or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). Our vision of a product is based on existing self-polishing antifouling coating technology, in combination with new specialized raw materials and formulation principles. Overall, the goal of the coating is to maintain 80% UV and visible light transmission, while staying essentially free of seawater biofouling for at least three months of static immersion.
The main technical approaches involve formulating to proper application and film formation, following the transparency development during seawater immersion, ensuring adequate coating polishing and seawater-soluble pigment leaching rates, securing mechanical properties, and evaluating the long-term biofouling resistance in real seawater at sites in Denmark and USA.