Marine Coatings under the Regulatory Spotlight - PaintSquare

of coatings and detailed how theyshould be applied to give long lifeprotection. This regulation, however,applied only to bulk carriers andtankers.Building on this start, morecomprehensive regulations andstandards were developed, initially asan industry-led exercise and now withthe full backing of the InternationalMaritime Organization (IMO), resultingin the latest regulation, MSC 215(82),the Performance Standard forProtective Coatings (PSPC). Thisstandard applies to all ships over 500GRT (gross register tonnage) after July1, 2008, and replaces the abovecorrosion prevention regulation inSOLAS. However, it also applies to allvessels being constructed afterDecember 8, 2006, under theInternationalAssociation ofClassificationSocieties (IACS)Common StructuralRules. IACS hasissued ProceduralRequirement (PR 34)on Application of theIMO PSPC,Resolution MSC.215(82) under IACSCommon StructuralRules for BulkCarriers and OilTankers. PR 34 is to be read inconjunction with PSPC and, underIACS, the PSPC becomes mandatory. Itdefines the IACS verification role, notthe day to day application andinspection. PR 34 aims to enableuniform understanding of IMO PSPCrequirements and will expire on July 1,2008.A further regulatory step taken by theIMO was to control the type ofantifouling hull coatings that can be used.(Above): Example of poorconstruction process.Oil/grease stains (frompower tools) during blockassembly. Photo courtesyof Amtec Consultants Ltd(Left): Example of ballasttank in GOOD condition(~1% breakdown on flatareas, 5-10% breakdownon edges). Photo courtesyof Amtec ConsultantsLtdwww.paintsquare.comJ P C L F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 49

Your coating has to be tough enough to stand up to the most extreme environmentsimaginable. And the most scrutinizing coating inspectors. That’s why Sherwin-Williamsoffers the industry’s most complete range of corrosion-resistant coatings and liningsengineered for the harshest environments to provide superior protection and minimizecostly downtime.To learn more about our petrochemical coatings, including those with our revolutionaryOptically Active Pigment (OAP) technology, visit us at www.sherwin-williams.com/imor call 1-800-524-5979 to have a representative contact you.©2007 The Sherwin-Williams Company Stop by our booth at NACEsherwin-williams.comClick our Reader e-Card at paintsquare.com/ric

While ballast tank coatingregulations are directedtoward safety andperformance, regulationsfor anti-fouling coatings areenvironmentally driven.This was not a safety/performanceregulation, but an environmental one.The most common biocide used inantifouling coatings was TBT (tri-butyltin), which has been found to be harmfulto non-target marine organisms and themarine ecosystem. The anti-foulingconvention was approved in 2001, witha date of entry into service set forJanuary 1, 2008—assuming that it hasbeen ratified by the required number offlag states. This required number wasreached in September 2007 whenPanama signed the treaty, and theconvention will enter into force onSeptember 17, 2008. After this date,ships will no longer be permitted toapply or re-apply organotin-basedantifouling systems and may not havethese compounds on their hulls orexternal parts unless they have a barriercoating that will prevent the biocidefrom leaching out.It is not surprising that, at a recentLloyd’s List-organized conference onManaging and Preventing MarineCorrosion (London, November 21–22,2007), many of the presentationscovered aspects of the above coatingregulations in relation to theirimplementation. These aspects arediscussed below.Ballast Tank Coatingsand Ship ConstructionIn his presentation, “TheCurrent Problems withBallast Tank Coatings.” LesCallow of AmtecConsultants Ltd, discussedhow his experiences withinspecting older vesselsrevealed evidence of howconstruction factors canaffect the service lifetimesof ballast tank coatings. Ingeneral, it was evident that• cut edges tend to fail prematurely;• welds tend to fail earlier than flatsurfaces;• areas of burn-through damage failearly;• flat areas are generally the last to failby corrosion; and• ballast tank under deck areas usuallyfail first.The new IMO regulations aim for a15-year target life, with the remainingcoating in good condition. As defined inIACS Rec 8, good means that rust spotson flat surfaces must cover less than3% of the area under consideration andthat there must be less than 20%breakdown on welds and edges. Thenew regulations aim to achieve theselonger coatings lifetimes throughimproved new construction practicesthat address the areas of failure notedabove by regulating the surfacepreparation and coating application.Marcus Cridland (ABS) describedhow the Ballast Tank CoatingRegulations (MSC 215 [82],Performance Standard for ProtectiveCoatings, PSPC) were being addressedwithin a classification society and whatthe society is doing to help itscustomers.The ability of coatings to resistcorrosion over extended periods oftime is an important contributor insafeguarding the capital investment of avessel. Correctly functioning coatingscan reduce the rate of corrosion,thereby potentially delaying the use ofcorrosion margins in a vessel’sstructural scantlings (dimensions of theship’s structural parts). In recent years,the Class Societies have permittedoptimization of scantlings, which hasresulted in thinner steel plates beingused and subsequent reductions inoverall weight of vessels. This meantthat coatings were playing anincreasingly important role, but theiruse was unregulated—hence the needfor the PSPC.The PSPC addresses key points byadopting industry best practices asminimum requirements, setting clearproduction QC standards; imposingexplicit inspection testing andverification; and requiring appropriatedocumentation of production,inspection, and testing activities.General help is contained in the ABSGuide for CPS Notation and the 3 rdedition of the ABS Guidance Notes onthe Inspection, Maintenance, andApplication of Marine Coating Systems,updated to include PSPC requirements.For example, there is a coating processflow diagram, cross referenced to thePSPC review steps, and examples oftypical required daily log of records,although it was noted that someinterpretations of the Standard stillneed to be debated by IACS.Anti-fouling Regsand Paint Companies’ ResponsesIn response to the Anti-fouling SystemsConvention (AFSC), the major marinepaint manufacturers voluntarilydecided to withdraw tin-containing50 J P C L F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8www.paintsquare.com

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antifouling hull coatings from themarket before the IMO conventionenters into force. The EU also passedlegislation that bans the application oftin-containing coatings and prohibitsvessels with tin-based antifoulings fromentering EU ports.The paint industry responded tothese regulations by further developinganti-fouling coating technology basedon other fouling control mechanisms.The first coating developed usesalternative active species (biocides) informulations similar to the banned tinbasedsystems. However, EdwardKleverlaan of IMO, in an update of theAFSC, noted that the effect of some ofthese active species on the environmentand humans was being studied.The other new technology is basedon non-stick (fouling release) coatings,and examples of these were given bythree suppliers. Martin Pauwels andMartin Weightman (Subsea Industries)described their totally non-toxic systembased on a vinyl ester resin containinga high loading of glass platelets. Thissystem can provide a very smooth,tough coating that is effective againstcorrosion and fouling. Fouling does noteasily adhere to this smooth surface,which can be regained by in-waterpolishing to extend lifetime further.Torben Rasmussn (Hempel) describeda fouling release coating based onsilicone resin and gave evidence of howthe coating reduced hull skin frictionand optimized fuel consumption.John Willsher (International Paint)described fouling release coatingtechnology based on silicone resintechnology and the latest developmentusing fluoropolymers. Silicone foulingrelease systems contain no biocides,have low surface energy due to a verysmooth, “slippery” surface, and workwell for fast and active vessels.Fluoropolymers are purported tocreate smoother, tougher coatings withbetter fouling release and staticproperties, and can be used on morevessel types/trading patterns.Challenges: Present and FutureAndrew Alderson, Director TechnicalExcellence Centre, Registro ItalianoNavale, summed up the latestregulations and, looking to the future,highlighted the challenges theseregulations raise for the coatingsindustry. Alderson is also chairman ofthe IACS Expert Group on Coatingsand sits on various industry technicalpanels.The PSPC for dedicated seawaterballast tanks in all types of ships anddouble side skin spaces of bulk carriersis prescriptive for the types of coatingsand control needed, said Alderson. It isnot, however, a barrier to innovation.Article 5 invites governments toencourage the development of newtechnologies and alternative coatingsystems and to keep the Organisationadvised of any positive results. Thesealternatives to the specified coating caninclude special steels or alternativecoatings (e.g., quick dry).Alderson also raised severalquestions. What about alternatives tothe inspector or methods of inspection?As required in the PSPC, this has alarge resource requirement and is slow.There are quick drying coatingsavailable, but are there quickinspections? Possibilities includeautomated inspection using robots andsmart coatings (self-indicating, opticalcoatings) but how can these bevalidated?Future regulations are underway tocover the coating requirements in voidsand cargo spaces of oil tankers and forthe inspection, maintenance and repairof marine coatings. Can we use certifiedcoatings for cargo tank coatings incrude oil tankers? What is thecomposition of the crude oil beingcarried and how will the ship masterknow if his coatings are compatible?For inspection, maintenance, andrepair, guidelines are being developedbased on IACS Rec 87. The guidelinesfor ships’ staff need to be simple andclear, or do we need qualifiedinspectors onboard?Another IMO Regulation is theBallast Water Convention. This is not acoatings regulation, but it impinges oncoating performance or lifetime. Thisconvention aims to stop the transportof invasive marine species from onepart of the globe to another in theballast water by ensuring the water istreated before discharge into the sea oris discharged into fixed onshorefacilities where it can be treated.Several onboard systems have beendeveloped, but the question remains:should these ballast water treatmentprocesses be compatible with theprescribed coatings, or should coatingsbe compatible with the systems?It is obvious that the marine coatingindustry is in a dynamic era, with moreand more regulatory input. This canonly improve the performance obtainedfrom coatings, but can this be achievedwithout excessive cost to theindustry—which negates anyadvantages gained from longerlifetimes? Only time will tell.52 www.paintsquare.comJ P C L F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8

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