Akzo Nobel Helps China's Science and Technology Ice Breaker 'Xuelong 2'

Recently, China's first self-built polar scientific expedition icebreaker, Xuelong 2, was successfully delivered. Akzo Nobel customized the "Xuelong 2" coating solution for the world's leading ship coating technology, helping it to improve its flexibility and operational efficiency in the ice area in the extreme cold environment, and helping China's polar marine scientific research to a new level.

The polar regions are surrounded by ice sheets thousands of meters thick all the year round, which is a serious challenge to the ice-breaking ability of ships going to science and technology examination. In the past, the Xuelong, the only polar scientific research vessel in active service in China, could not reach the survey site until the large-scale melting of polar glaciers in summer, and could not penetrate into the central area of the Arctic Ocean, which limited China's scientific research work in the polar region to a certain extent. In order to better meet the needs of the Polar Science Examination, China's first self-built Polar Science Examination icebreaker, the Xuelong 2, came into being at the historic moment. The Xuelong 2, weighing 12 366 tons, is the first polar science icebreaker in the world to adopt two-way deicing technology of bow and stern. The ship has excellent ice-breaking ability, can achieve 360 degrees of free rotation in the polar region, and can break through the ice ridge of 20 meters in the polar region, which greatly expands and prolongs the polar exploration area and season in China. Apart from the flight deck, Aksub Nobel ship and protective coatings were applied to the other parts of the "Xuelong 2". Among them, "Xuelong 2" hull bottom and both sides to the boundary of the ice zone adopted Akzo Nobel International's most effective ice-coated product wear-resistant epoxy paint (Intershield 163 Inerta 160). Its outstanding surface smoothness can effectively prevent the ice layer from adhering to the coating surface, thus preventing the ice layer from adhering to the coating surface. Ensure that "Xuelong 2" can maximize the efficiency of ice breaking.

"Akzo Nobel is a pioneer in providing professional marine coatings and solutions globally. We are pleased to cooperate with China Polar Research Center to provide coatings products for the first self-built"Xuelong 2"in China," Jean-Michel Gauthier, managing director of Akzo Nobel's ship and protective coatings business. "We are proud that our proven international paint products, rich experience and customer-trusted use record are the main reasons for this cooperation," he said. Over 130 years of history, Akzo Nobel's international paint industry has continuously consolidated and put forward industry-leading solutions. The brand's star product wear-resistant epoxy paint, originally designed for ships sailing in the Baltic Sea ice area, has excellent impact and corrosion resistance, as well as excellent wear resistance and crack resistance, which can keep the paint itself stable at temperatures as low as - 50 C and improve fuel efficiency. It has been more than 47 years since it was introduced in 1972. It has more than 1600 records of the use of ice-breaking vessels, and is favored by Nordic and Russian ice-breaking powers. Sheng Minxian, Director of Ship and Protective Coatings Business in Greater China, Akzo Nobel, added: "We are honored to be involved in this significant project. This cooperation further strengthens our customer-centered concept and brings us closer to the goal of becoming a benchmark in the industry.

Excellent design and construction of "Xuelong 2" ushered in the prelude of the era of "Double Dragon Pole Exploration". It is expected that in October this year, the "Xuelong" will go to Antarctica with the "Xuelong" to carry out China's 36th Antarctic Expedition Mission. More than 7000 induction points have been installed on the hull and equipment of Xuelong 2, which can collect and analyze the data related to friction and impact on the hull. It will be helpful for China to develop and build more polar scientific research facilities and equipment in the future. Akzo Nobel will use its solid experience in ship and protective coatings and innovative product solutions to help enhance the business capability of China's polar marine science and technology examination.