From copper shells to modern chemistry
Since ancient times, sailors have observed fouling, i.e. the biological fouling of hulls. The Egyptians were already using oils or wax to slow this phenomenon. But it was not until the 18th century that things really took off: the Royal Navy began to coat the hulls of its wooden ships with copper plates, a metal naturally toxic to marine organisms.
This was a major naval success: copper-plated boats stayed faster, longer. But the metal was expensive and difficult to maintain.
With the rise of metal boats in the 19th century, engineers looked for paints containing copper or lead to reproduce the effect. The term "antifouling" entered maritime parlance.
The first modern antifouling paint is generally attributed to the British company Williamson, Foster and Co. who developed a copper-based paint in the mid-19th century, under the trade name "Zinc and Copper Paint". However, it is another English company, J. W. Barry & Sons, which is often cited as one of the first true industrial manufacturers of antifoulings, from the 1860s-1870s onwards.
But the real revolution came when International Paint, founded in 1881 in Newcastle (UK), became one of the industry's undisputed pioneers. International Paint (now a subsidiary of AkzoNobel) played a major role in the development and worldwide distribution of antifouling paints, notably with copper oxide-based formulas.
So, if you're looking for the name of a company that pioneered industrial antifouling as we know it today, International Paint is the most emblematic.
The 20th-century boom in biocidal paints
In the 20th century, the chemical industry entered the scene. Powerful biocides (copper, arsenic, mercury, then later TBT âeuros tributylétain) were added to antifouling paints. These products prevent mollusc larvae, algae and marine organisms from settling. Performance is excellent, and cargo ships and sailboats alike are adopting this type of coating on a massive scale.
But a problem is looming: these substances are poisoning marine ecosystems on a long-term basis. TBT, for example, has caused mutations in shellfish and has been found everywhere in marine sediments.
Ecological crisis and regulatory shift
From the 1990s onwards, ecological alerts multiplied. In 2008, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) banned the use of TBT antifoulings on all ships. The industry then turned to "milder" formulas, often based on copper (again) or less persistent organic substances.
Research is intensifying to find alternatives: hull covers, textile protection, non-toxic coatings, paints with a slippery surface effect, or biomimetic technologies inspired by shark skin.
Today: a compromise between efficiency and the environment
Today, antifouling is a must for all boats, from pleasure craft to commercial vessels. There are several types: hard matrix, self-polishing, erodible... Each with its own advantages and limitations.
But the environmental issue is more than ever at the heart of the debate. Some ports prohibit open-air careening, shipyards must collect residues, and more and more yachtsmen are asking: can we sail clean without polluting?
And tomorrow?
Between stricter regulations and technological innovations, tomorrow's antifouling may well no longer be a paint, but an adhesive film, a self-cleaning hull, a cover or a micro-vibration system that prevents organisms from taking hold.
Antifouling is much more than a can of paint to be applied each season: it's a long-term battle between man, the sea... and nature, which wants to reclaim its place.
