PPG confirms 40% reduction in marine coating overspray with electrostatic spraying

PPG announced today that EDR Antwerp Shipyard achieved a 40% reduction in overspray by electrostatically spraying PPG Sigmaglide 2390 antifouling coating. The project, performed on the underwater hull of Stena Line’s roll-on/roll-off passenger vessel Stena Transporter, was EDR’s second successful electrostatic application project.

The improved transfer efficiency of electrostatic spraying compared to airless spraying, which results in less overspray and waste, combined with the low VOC emissions of PPG Sigmaglide coatings, provides cleaner operation and a better working environment for sprayers. The chemical composition of PPG Sigmaglide antifouling and PPG NEXEON 810 antifouling coatings makes them suitable for spraying using an electrostatic process.

"Electrostatic spraying increases the weather window for painting operations and significantly reduces overspray," said Philippe Trouillard, commercial manager, EDR. "It’s impressive how the charged paint droplets are attracted to the vessel’s surface like a magnet. You only need to look at the dock floor at the end of the project to see how much paint was saved from disappearing into the environment. With cleaner operations, we spend less time masking the vessel and covering the dock, saving valuable time and costs."

"We encourage shipowners and shipyards to find innovative solutions to comply with stricter environmental regulations and meet sustainability goals," said Sijmen Visser, PPG sales director, marine, protective and marine coatings, Europe, Middle East and Africa. "We see an increasing demand not only for biocide-free and copper-free hull coatings to reduce ship emissions, but also for more sustainable application procedures in shipyards. We strongly believe in the sustainable concept of electrostatic application and are promoting this concept in shipyards in Europe, Singapore and China."