Measuring predictors of drag penalty of ship-fouling biofilms

Biofilm fouling on ships leads to costly drag penalties, and the marine coatings industry seeks to develop

technologies that will eliminate or reduce "slime". This project explores the feasibility of using marine fouling

biofilm mechanical and physical properties as predictors of associated drag, and thus more sophisticated

metrics of coating performance than the current standard. Biofouling and coatings experts at International

Paint Ltd. and biofilm mechanics experts at the Univeristy of Southampton will partner to develop and validate

innovative methods and apparatuses for measurement of (i) biofilm drag and (ii)mechanical/physical properties

of intact, immersed biofilms on marine coatings. With these methods, the teams will compile the first dataset

of biofilm drag penalties with respect to the mechanical/physical properties of these compliant materials. The

test methods and broader knowledge of biofilm properties and drag will directly benefit coatings research and

development, product performance modelling, and fundamental materials science.