Microtextured surfacing may help to eradicate the problem of barnacle larvae in the shipping industry
Monday, December 12, 2011 - 08:01
in Physics & Chemistry
The US Navy estimates that biofoulingthe accumulation of unwanted marine organisms, such as barnacles and seaweeds, on the hulls of shipscan reduce a ships speed by 10% and increase fuel consumption by 40%. Coating the ships hull with biocides can help prevent biofouling, but the chemicals used are often harmful to the environment. An environmentally friendly alternative to biocides is the use of microtextured surfaces to which marine organisms have difficulty latching onto.