The Bottom Line
Not surprisingly, given all the changes to antifouling paint in the last few years, such as the loss of some biocides, copper regulation in California and Washington State, raw material costs and new VOC regulations, many sailors have been left wondering, “What’s next?”
Efforts to ban antifouling paints containing Tributyltin (TBT) began in the late 1980s, when TBT became a restricted-use pesticide that could only be used on boats of aluminum construction and boats over 82ft in length. Although it still may be available in some parts of the world, antifouling paints containing TBT were ultimately banned in 2008.
Copper has been used in antifouling paints for centuries because it is effective, available and relatively inexpensive compared to other biocides. It is also easy to work with and can be used in many different formulations of antifouling paint. The most common forms of copper used today are cuprous oxide, copper thiocyanate and copper flake.
In antifouling paints, copper compounds are used to control hard fouling, such as barnacles, mussels and
