Copper Coat – Yes or No?

Please note: this information is taken from http://coppercoat.com/ and therefore has links which will redirect you away from our website for reviews etc.

Coppercoat is suitable for DIY or professional application, by roller or spray and can be used on all surfaces including GRP, iron, steel, wood and aluminium. 

What is coppercoat?

Coppercoat is the combination of a specially developed solvent-free epoxy resin and high purity (99%) copper. Each litre of resin is impregnated with 2 kilos of ultra fine copper, the maximum allowed by law, making Coppercoat the strongest copper based anti-fouling available. Indeed no other anti-fouling exposes as much active copper to unwanted marine life. Unlike many paint companies we do not manufacture different types of anti-fouling for different styles of boats and/or particular locations. Instead, Coppercoat is only available in one full-strength hard-wearing version. The epoxy carrier is filled with the maximum amount of copper allowed by law and consequently will keep fouling at bay in virtually all conditions. Furthermore, while the non-eroding epoxy can easily withstand use by high powered motor-boats and racing craft this coating is equally effective on commercial vessels as well as less frequently used and slower moving leisure vessels.

Classified as non-leaching, this highly effective coating is considerably kinder to the environment than its self eroding competitors, whilst continuing to deter growth year after year. Indeed, correctly applied treatments resist weed and barnacle growth for a decade or more! The complete treatment has been tested and approved by the Health and Safety Executive, in compliance with UK and EU law. Holding HSE Certificate Number 7532 our anti-fouling is fully approved for use by both professional tradesmen and the general public. Furthermore, Coppercoat fully complies with current (2001) International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Resolution MEPC.102(48).

Today Coppercoat alone has a proven lifespan of 10 years plus, with an unequalled continual sales record dating back to 1991. No other copper based epoxy anti-fouling has the enviable pedigree of the original… Coppercoat.

How does it work

Coppercoat is the combination of a specially developed two-pack epoxy resin and 99% pure copper. Each litre of Coppercoat contains 2kg of ultra fine copper powder, the maximum allowed by law. On immersion, sea water attacks the exposed pure copper, causing the formation of cuprous oxide. This highly effective anti-fouling agent deters growth until the surface degrades further to become cupric hydrochloride. This final copper form is highly unstable, and is washed away by the movement of the yacht, thereby removing any accumulating silt or slime. This automatically reveals a fresh copper-rich surface whereby the process recommences.

Is it environmentally friendly?

Read the Environmental White Paper! Global environmental regulations are tightening. The emphasis on eliminating VOCs and significantly reducing biocide leach rates and end-of-life pollution makes the future for traditional anti-fouls look bleak indeed. Such inevitable, long overdue changes leave Coppercoat as the most viable, low leach rate, efficacious and environmentally responsible bio-active anti-foul available. Over the next few years we shall see yet further tightening of the environmental legislation pertaining to anti-fouls, leading to the withdrawal of even more (and quite possibly all) of the traditional style paints currently available. But with Coppercoat already being water-based, VOC-free, low-leaching and with no end-oflife concerns, those requiring an efficacious anti-fouling in both the commercial and leisure sectors can remain confident of the continued availability of a legally compliant and environmentally responsible solution. For more information on environmental awareness and the future of antifoul, read the full report here.

How to apply Copper Coat

how long does copper coat last?

The life of Coppercoat depends on a variety of factors such as water temperature and salinity. However, typically in Northern Europe one should expect effective performance for at least 10 years, whereas in the Caribbean, 8 to 10 years would be more normal. Many of the first boats treated in 1991 are still performing well after more than 20 years! With an average thickness of 250 microns of Coppercoat being applied in a treatment, and a typical corrosion rate of less than 5 microns per year, it is easy to appreciate how this coating offers such long lasting and effective protection.

See this boat with over 40,000 miles travelled before it was washed off

Is Coppercoat expensive when compared to traditional anti-fouls

No! Applying Coppercoat is possibly the most cost-effective way to protect a submersed surface from marine growth. Over the treatments typical life of 10 years, the cost in product terms alone, will commonly be only 15 to 30% of the product cost associated with conventional single-season anti-fouls (depending on which brand you use). This does not take into account additional items such as lift costs, storage fees, labour, inflation, etc. which make a Coppercoat treatment even more financially attractive (why pay to have your boat ashore every year if you don’t need to?). When compared to using a standard anti-foul paint, customers with a Coppercoat-treated boat will typically break even in year 2 and then enjoy many years of free anti-fouling protection. Contact us for prices to include application.

Fore more information or FAQ’s: see http://coppercoat.com/faqs/

“We have been very impressed with Coppercoat’s success on our Clipper 68 training fleet and are confident its impressive antifouling technology will help get our Clipper 70s round the world more efficiently.”  Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.