I-Tech, the developer of the unique anti-fouling biocide, Selektope, has reported great uptake by the maritime market following the EU’s approval of antifouling biocide.
During the first month of 2016, orders amounted to double that during the whole of 2015 say the company.
By temporarily stimulating larvae’s octopamine receptors, the Skeletope hull coating causes the larvae’s legs to start kicking, repelling them from the hull of the ship. The product is not only organic and non-metallic, but it has a proven efficacy of 0.1% weight/weight.
Under the EU’s Biocidal Products Regulation, Selektope achieved an industry-first approval as a pharmacological means of combatting barnacle settlement, sparking widespread interest for antifouling coatings.
This movement has led I-Tech to believe that the higher that uptake by the marine coatings industry will quickly bring Selektope’s other benefits into focus, contributing to an overall improvement in the performance of antifouling coatings.
I-Tech CEO Philip Chaabane says that the increase in demand following regulatory approval may be attributed to Selektope’s ability to extend static performance of the coating, one of the major areas needing improvement. I-Tech has been able to meet this increased demand through its agreement with life sciences corporation Cambrex, enabling Selektope to be produced on an industrial scale.
