Ships may soon be more energy efficient if they're painted with a novel material.
Engineers at Duke University in the US have developed an innovative surface which can dislodge bacteria from ship's hulls or other submerged objects such as rig supports or valves. A major environmental benefit of this new material is that it avoids the use of bacteria-killing paints which often contain heavy metals or other toxic chemicals that are harmful to marine life.
The new material makes surface it is covering a living, moving object - although at a microscopic level. This means bacteria and larger obejcts, which could block or clog undersea sensors or reduce vessel performance, are prevented from clinging exterior.
If proven to be effective, the new coating could dramatically reduce maintenance schedules by removing the need for hull or support scraping to remove seaweed, worms, barnacles or mussels. Currently this requires significant manual labour - often requiring the vessel to be taken out of the water - and/or anti-foul coating painted onto submersed surfaces, which often contain harmful chemicals.