Biocide-releasing coatings

Biocide-releasing coatings are commonly referred to as antifouling paints. By definition, a paint is an unstable, complex, concentrated mixture containing a wide variety of compounds: solvents, binders (polymers), pigments, fillers and additives. The specificity of antifouling marine paints lies in the presence of biocides. These are generally a cocktail of molecules derived from copper (copper thiocyanate, copper oxide, metallic copper) and organic compounds from the phytosanitary industry. These toxic molecules, present in large quantities, have herbicidal, algaecidal, fungicidal or bactericidal activity. Among these compounds, Diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl-urea), Sea-nine (4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one) and Dichlofluanid (N-dichlorofluoromethylthio-N'N'-dimethyl-N-phenylsulfamide) were used for several decades. Today, these substances are regulated....