In order to combat the underwater growth on ships, yacht- and sporting boat owners depend on paint
containing biocides, which represent a serious threat for users and for the environment. The company International Port Technology (IPT) of Bremerhaven, Germany, in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven and the Wohlert-Lackfabrik, has developed a new type of scouring combination consisting of an abrasion-resistant coating and a boat-washing system, which is effective without the use of biocides. In a manner similar to that of an automatic car wash, friction wheels push the ship through the scouring system while a number of rotating brushes clean the hull. Suction pumps transport the loosened particles of dirt and waste into filtering systems, where they are treated further in an environmentally-friendly fashion or disposed of.
The new coating developed by the Wohlert-Lackfabrik minimizes the buildup of aquatic organisms, and is strong enough to resist damage from the hard synthetic brushes of the cleaning system for a number of years. The underwater coating employs an almost transparent »two-component paint system« with a base of epoxy resin.
A precondition for an effective cleansing is a sufficiently short interval between two washes. Recommended are 3 to 4 scouring intervals per season in saltwater, and 1 to 2 in fresh- and brackish water. A new coating is only necessary every five years, at the earliest. It has now been demonstrated that the use of biocides can be completely dispensed with in the combating of organism growth for yachts and pleasure boats. In order that the technique may come into the widest possible use, it is essential to establish the new scouring infrastructure in practice.
Project Operation:
Hochschule Bremerhaven
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Lompe
An der Karlstadt 8
27568 Bremerhaven
Telefon: 0471 | 48232-169
E-Mail: dlompe@hs-bremerhaven.de
Cooperation Partner:
International Port Technology (IPT)
27568 Bremerhaven
E-Mail: info@ipt-eu.com
www.ipt-eu.com
Wohlert-Lackfabrik GmbH
www.wohlert-lackfabrik.de
Ref. 29437
