November 2004

Ecospeed Passes Longevity TestEcospeed, the innovative new hull protection system that has been under development for the last 10 years has

now conclusively proven its value after 18 months in challenging service conditions on “Loodsboot 1”.

Unlike traditional coatings, the Ecospeed system survived a tough service period emerging as new. Amazingly, only a fewlitres of the coating was required to touch up a few small areas of minor damage caused by severe mechanical impact.

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERExtremely durable hull protection systemExtremely durable hull protection system

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Anti-fouling properties

Ecospeed is an extremely tough andsmooth coating – to the extent that eventhe tenacious barnacle finds it impossibleto attach itself with any effectiveness toan Ecospeed coating. Biofilm will fallaway from the hull as the vessel movesthrough the water. If the vessel has prolonged stays in port or at anchor, marine fouling may occur. Ecospeed,however, allows for regular hull cleanings without damage to the coating.

Barnacles and other marine fouling cannot penetrate Ecospeed enabling veryefficient hull cleaning work. Even aftersevere fouling, the coating will still be asnew. Factoring hull cleaning into theoverall cost of running the ship still represents a major saving and providesfor a far greater protection of the hull. In addition to this, Ecospeed’s smoothsurface gives the hull properties that reduce fuel consumption.

Corrosion protection

Glass is a natural barrier to water and has been used throughout civilisation for this purpose. In glass flake lining technology, this property has been developed and utilised by incorporating glass particles into a matrix of tough carrier resins. These, when applied inthe form of a coating, cure to create tough, glass-like products whichform a powerful bond with a host of diverse substrates.

The Ecospeed system uses large glass platelets especially designed to resist water ingress in the marine environment and is then conditioned to provide an exceptionally smooth finish. Ecospeed willresist the corrosive elements that would destroy virtually any otherprotective material in a short period of time. It differs from conven-tional paints in that it constructs a multilayered glass barrier thatremains stable for long periods of time in corrosive environments.

Ecospeed outperforms all other glass-reinforced coatings. A superiortype of glass platelet is used in its manufacture. Because of its stability and strength, Ecospeed offers outstanding protection againstcorrosion, abrasion and other physical damage in the underwaterenvironment. This has been conclusively proven, first in underwatertests and now in the working environment.

The ‘before’ and ‘after’ images of how the vessel has been protectedafter 18 months in the water are startling. After 12 months with a

As can be seen from the pictures on this page the coating stayed intact throughout the whole 18 monthperiod. Whilst a repaint for this vessel would have been very costly the only expense with Ecospeed was afew litres of paint. As Ecospeed is expected to last more than 20 years, if not for the lifetime of the vessel,the potential savings are phenomenal as initial costs are only slightly more than conventional systems.

After 12 months in water with a conventional coating After 18 months in water with Ecospeed

12 months conventional coating 18 months Ecospeed

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traditional coating the paint was peeling of the ship’s hull when itwas drydocked, corrosion and scarring were clearly visible and itwas obvious that without a new coating the underwater area would

soon be seriously corroded. Whereas with the Ecospeed coating, thehull showed no damage after 18 months and only a few litres of coating were required to refresh the vessel’s hull before it went backin the water.

The anti-corrosion protection capabilities are now proven to be farsuperior and much longer lasting than those of normal paints.

Anodes

It can also be seen that the Ecospeed protective coating provides sucha perfect corrosion barrier that there is virtually no loss of the sacrificial anodes.

Stern section showing pristine condition of underwater hull

Sea chest coating retained

Condition of anodes after 18 months

One of the specialized applications of Ecospeed is the coatingof propellers and rudders. Once coated, they benefit from

enhanced operating conditions.

Firstly, the smoothness of the coating allows the propeller to operateat its maximum efficiency and endows the blades with self-cleaningproperties, thus reducing fuel consumption.

Secondly, cavitation erosion damage is virtually eliminated, againsaving expensive replacement and maintenance costs.

Thirdly, the blades are completely shielded from all corrosive elements in their operational environment and are electrically inert.Electrolysis therefore ceases to be a problem and de-alloying processes cannot take place thus maintaining blade smoothness.

We have now also protected several rudders with the Ecospeed system. These were done to test the effectiveness of the product inextreme conditions of cavitation erosion. After a number of under-water inspections of these “Ecospeed” rudders, no signs of cavitation, corrosion or mechanical damage have been found.

'"Ecospeed" propellers and rudders have a greatly increased servicelife.

Propeller coating

Coated with Ecospeed proves efficient protection

Subsea IndustriesPhone: 32 (0)3 213 5318 • Fax: 32 (0)3 213 5321 • Email: info@subind.net • www.subind.net

Propeller and rudderprotection against cavitation erosion

Propeller and rudderprotection against cavitation erosion