The Performance of Antifouling Paint for Prolonged Exposure in Madura Strait, East Java Province, Indonesia

Antifouling paints are commonly utilized to minimize attached biofouling on the submerged marine structure. The evaluation of commercial both antifouling (AF) paints (Paint A and Paint B) for prolonged exposure has been investigated through field test in Suramadu Bridge, Madura strait, East Java Province, Indonesia. In addition, commercial anti-corrosion (AC) paints were also studied as a controlled coated specimen. The test panels containing all specimens of paint were exposure up to 3-months. Seawater quality parameters consisting of temperature, pH, salinity, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were also measured during the test field. The coating properties, which consist of thickness, gloss, hardness, and adhesion strength, were carried out. It was found that both antifouling paints are remarkable to protect attached fouling organisms, but not anti-corrosion paints. Both antifouling paints' properties gradually decrease, such as adhesion strength and gloss, but not in their hardness. There were attached various fouling organisms such as barnacles, tubeworms, and brown algae, where barnacles mainly in the surface of both AC paints after exposure. Based on the result, there was no or less primary biocide of Cu2O in both AF paints where that biocide can inhibit those fouling after three months of exposure. The rapid reduction of thickness for both AF paints is maybe predominantly induced by seawater current rather than pH, salinity, and temperature.