A marine antifouling paint has been shifted from diffusional to hydrolytic one, because tributyltin copolymer as a binder for a hydrolytic paint has excellent qualities for an antifouling paint. It has higher antifouling potential and longer lifetime against the growth of marine organisms. Recently, an antifouling paint based on tributyltin copolymer was limited to a considerable extent due to heavy concern over marine pollution, in Japan.
In this situation, various hydrolytic polymers were developed to replace tributyltin copolymer. Further, non-pollutive, heavy metal free, fouling release coatings have been widely investigated.
