New eco-friendly coating for boats from shellfish waste
Researchers from the GREEN-CHEM network at Ghent University have developed a new coating for boats based on the recycled waste from shellfish. The classic anti-fouling coatings battle the growth of mussels, sea cubes, algae and other sea creatures with toxic substances like heavy metals. However, this new coating is environmentally friendly. The eco-friendly coating will be immediately put to the test during a sailing trip around the world.
The protecting layer mainly consists of chitosan, a biological component made from the waste of shellfish, animals like lobsters, crabs, scampi’s and shrimp.
That substance naturally works as a protection from moulds and bacteria. It is now already used in agriculture, water purification, the food industry and cosmetic industry to suppress body odour and for medical applications.
Professor Chris Stevens from the faculty of bioscience engineering at Ghent University and his team have modified the material in a way it got an extra protective function. It should now be able to keep mussels, sea cubes, algae and other sea creatures from growing on the hull of the sailing boat.
“To stop that kind of fouling, toxic substances are generally used. We accepted the challenge to do this in a more biological way without risk for the environment,” explained professor Stevens. “Besides, we have managed to convert food waste into something useful, causing a very low ecological footprint of the product.”
Sailing trip around the world
The special coating can soon be tested in the water. It has been applied to the hull of the sailing boat of sailor Erik Kiekens, who is departing in the summer of 2017 on a sailing trip around the world under the name ‘Sailing Le Grand Bleu’.
During that trip, the chitosan-derivate will have to prove it is protective enough against the growth of mussels, sea cubes, moulds and bacteria.
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