Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Marine Paints, Coatings and Antifouling glossary

The coatings vocabulary: abrasive blasting and surface preparation, two-pack epoxy and polyurethane chemistry (activators, accelerators, acrylic binders), antifouling systems, and the cure, adhesion, and application-condition terms. Grounds each term in the coating chemistry or the surface-preparation process it belongs to.

554 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 3).

A

Abrasive blasting: Surface preparation method propelling abrasive media at high velocity against steel to remove mill scale, rust, and old coatings before paint application.
AC impressed current: Incorrect terminology; impressed current cathodic protection systems use rectified DC, not AC, to polarize the hull.
Accelerator: Additive incorporated into a coating to speed cure rate, particularly in two-pack epoxy and polyurethane systems applied in cold conditions.
Acrylic resin: Synthetic polymer used as binder in some topcoats and traffic-deck paints, offering good color and gloss retention.
Activator: Component B of a two-pack coating, typically an amine or polyamide for epoxies and an isocyanate for polyurethanes, that initiates cure when mixed with the base.
Adhesion: Bond strength between a coating film and its substrate or between successive coating layers, measured by pull-off or cross-cut tests.
Adhesion promoter: Specialty primer or tie coat applied to improve intercoat bonding, particularly between dissimilar generic types.
Aerosol can repair: Touch-up paint supplied in pressurized cans for spot repair of small damage on accommodation and deck areas.
AFC (antifouling coating): Generic abbreviation for antifouling coating systems.
AFFF compatible coating: Tank lining suitable for service with aqueous film-forming foam concentrates in firefighting tanks.
AFS Certificate: International Anti-fouling System Certificate issued under the AFS Convention for ships of 400 GT and above engaged on international voyages.
AFS Convention: International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, 2001.
AFS Convention 2023 amendment: Adoption by MEPC adding cybutryne (Irgarol 1051) to Annex I, prohibiting its application to ships from 1 January 2023.
AFS Declaration: Declaration on Anti-fouling System required for ships of 24 m or more in length but less than 400 GT engaged on international voyages.
AFS survey: Inspection performed to verify that a ship's anti-fouling system complies with the AFS Convention.
Air spray: Conventional atomization using compressed air, used mainly for finish coats requiring high decorative quality.
Airless spray: Application method using hydraulic pressure to atomize paint through a small orifice tip, standard for heavy-duty marine coatings.
AkzoNobel: Dutch multinational coatings group, parent of the International marine coatings brand based in Gateshead, United Kingdom.
Aliphatic polyurethane: Topcoat chemistry providing excellent color and gloss retention under UV exposure, used on superstructures and topsides.
Alkyd: Oil-modified resin used in older marine paints and some accommodation finishes, largely superseded by epoxy and polyurethane in newbuilding.
Aluminum pigment: Leafing or non-leafing flake used in heat-resistant and reflective coatings for exhaust uptakes and funnel bands.
Aluminum thermal spray: Metallized coating applied to steel for long-term corrosion protection in splash zone and offshore structures.
Ameron: Historical marine and protective coatings brand acquired by PPG Industries and integrated into PPG Protective and Marine Coatings.
Amine adduct: Modified amine curing agent used in epoxy primers to improve low-temperature cure and reduce blushing.
Amine blush: Sticky carbamate formation on a curing epoxy when exposed to moisture and carbon dioxide, requiring removal before overcoating.
Anchor Pattern: Geometric layout of mooring legs around a moored unit.
Anode: Metallic component sacrificed or driven electrochemically to protect a steel structure from corrosion.
Anticorrosive primer: First or second coat in a marine paint system, usually epoxy-based, that provides the principal barrier against corrosion.
Antifoulant booster biocide: Co-biocide added to a copper-based paint to control diatoms, algae, and slime not affected by copper alone.
Antifouling: Coating designed to prevent or reduce settlement and growth of marine organisms on submerged surfaces.
Antifouling Paint: Coating preventing marine organism attachment to ship hulls.
Antiskid coating: Deck paint formulated with aggregate to provide slip resistance on walkways and helidecks.
Application data sheet: Manufacturer's document specifying spreading rate, film thickness, recoat intervals, and overcoating windows for a given product.
AS/NZS 2312: Australian and New Zealand standard for the protection of structural steel by paint coatings.
Atomization: Breaking up of liquid paint into a fine spray for application, achieved by airless, air-assisted, or conventional spray.
Auxiliary anode: Additional sacrificial or impressed current anode added to protect localized areas with high current demand.

B

Ballast tank coating: Protective coating, typically epoxy, applied to ballast tanks under the IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coatings.
Barnacle: Sessile crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that adheres firmly to underwater hulls and is a primary target of antifouling coatings.
Barrier coat: Coating layer applied to prevent migration of moisture, solvents, or chemicals into or out of an underlying layer.
Base coat: First coat of a multi-layer system, often a primer or holding primer.
Berger Marine: Marine coatings brand operated by Berger Paints, with significant presence in Indian shipyards and Asian markets.
Biocide: Chemical substance that controls harmful organisms, used in antifouling paints and certain BWMS.
Biocide-free antifouling: Coating that relies on low surface energy or hydrogel chemistry rather than toxic actives to prevent fouling adhesion.
Biofilm: Microbial slime layer on submerged surfaces, the first stage of biofouling.
Biofouling: Accumulation of organisms on submerged surfaces.
Biofouling Management Plan: Ship-specific document required by IMO Resolution MEPC.378(80) describing measures to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species.
Biofouling record book: Ship's logbook of antifouling system, cleaning, inspection, and niche area maintenance under the 2023 IMO Biofouling Guidelines.
Bisphenol A epoxy resin: Most common epoxy chemistry used in marine anticorrosive primers and tank linings.
Bisphenol F epoxy: Lower-viscosity epoxy variant used in solvent-free linings.
Blast cleaning: Generic term for surface preparation by impingement of abrasive media.
Blast room: Enclosed shop facility for grit blasting of fabricated steel sections in a coating yard.
Bleed: Migration of color or contaminant from a substrate into an overcoat, observed with marker pens and certain old coatings.
Blistering: Coating defect with localized swelling; recorded during ballast tank inspections.
Block coating: Application of coatings to hull and superstructure blocks during pre-erection in a shipyard.
Blow Down: Controlled depressurization of cargo or fuel gas piping to the vent mast or GCU.
Boot top: Painted band at the waterline that lies alternately above and below water depending on draft and trim.
Boxing in: Brush application of paint to weld seams, edges, and corners before main spray coat, ensuring full coverage.
Brushable repair: Coating formulation that can be applied by brush for spot touch-up between drydockings.
Bulb keel coating: Antifouling applied to the keel bulb on specialized vessels and yachts.
Bulwark coating: Topcoat applied to inboard and outboard faces of the bulwark, normally polyurethane or alkyd.
Burnishing: Smoothing of an antifouling paint surface by water flow, enhancing the polishing rate of SPC paints.
Butyl tin: Class of organotin biocides including TBT, banned for use as antifouling under the AFS Convention.

C

Calcium sulfonate alkyd: Hybrid coating chemistry providing rust penetration and tolerance for marginally prepared steel, used on weather decks.
Cathodic disbondment: Loss of adhesion between coating and steel under cathodic polarization, a key qualification test for tank coatings.
Cathodic Protection: Sacrificial or impressed current system protecting subsea steel from corrosion.
Cell: Discrete electrochemical area on a steel surface where corrosion or protection currents flow.
Chalking: Powdery surface degradation of a topcoat caused by UV breakdown of the binder.
Chlorinated rubber: Older marine antifouling and anticorrosive resin largely phased out due to VOC and solvent content.
Chugoku Marine Paints: Japanese marine coatings manufacturer founded 1917, headquartered in Hiroshima and known by initials CMP.
CIP Level 1: NACE/AMPP Coating Inspector Program first qualification level for protective coatings inspectors.
CIP Level 2: NACE/AMPP intermediate Coating Inspector Program certification covering offshore and marine work.
CIP Level 3: NACE/AMPP senior Coating Inspector certification including peer review.
CMP: Industry abbreviation for Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd.
CMP Bioclean: CMP biocide-free silicone foul-release coating range.
CMP Sea Grandprix: Self-polishing copolymer antifouling product line from Chugoku Marine Paints.
CMP Sea Premier: CMP marine antifouling product family for ocean-going vessels.
Coal tar epoxy: Historic tank lining combining epoxy with coal tar pitch; restricted today due to PAH content and tank coating PSPC requirements.
Coastings: Common misspelling of coatings observed in older specifications; correct term is coatings.
Coating Inspector: NACE or FROSIO certified inspector for newbuild or repair coating works.
Coating manufacturer: Producer of paint formulations and supplier of technical data sheets and inspection support.
Coating system: Defined combination of primer, intermediate, and topcoat that together meet the required performance specification.
Coating thickness gauge: Magnetic or eddy current instrument that measures dry film thickness over steel and non-ferrous substrates.
Cofferdam coating: Tank lining of epoxy or modified epoxy applied to void spaces separating cargo from fuel.
Cold cure epoxy: Formulation capable of curing at temperatures down to about minus 5 degrees Celsius for winter drydocking.
Color marker coat: Lightly tinted coat applied between primer and finish to facilitate visual confirmation of overlap and coverage.
Comb gauge: Notched gauge used to measure wet film thickness immediately after application.
Comparator: ISO 8503 surface profile comparator used by inspectors to visually grade blast-cleaned steel.
Conductive primer: Coating containing conductive pigment used beneath certain ICCP installations to distribute current.
Conductivity meter: Instrument used to measure soluble salt levels on blasted steel via the Bresle method.
Contact angle: Measure of wetting between water and a coating surface, relevant to fouling release performance.
Contamination: Presence of soluble salts, oil, dust, or other deleterious matter on a substrate prior to coating.
Controlled depletion polymer: Antifouling technology in which a rosin-based binder dissolves gradually in seawater, releasing biocide.
Conversion coating: Chemical pretreatment such as phosphating used on small components, rare on ship hulls.
Copper acrylate: Common biocide-binding polymer in self-polishing copolymer antifouling paints.
Copper pyrithione: Booster biocide used with copper in some antifouling formulations.
Copper slag: Single-use expendable abrasive widely used in shipyards for grit blasting.
Copper thiocyanate: White copper biocide used in light-color and bright-color antifoulings as an alternative to cuprous oxide.
Copper-based antifouling: Antifouling paint that uses cuprous oxide or copper thiocyanate as the principal biocide.
CORE: Coating Operations Resource Efficiency, a general industry initiative term seen in some specifications.
Corrosion: Electrochemical deterioration of metals through interaction with their environment.
Corrosion Allowance: Reduction in MSL for components exposed to seawater.
Corrosion protection: Combined system of coatings, cathodic protection, and design measures to extend the service life of steel.
Corrosivity category: Atmospheric or immersion classification under ISO 12944 part 2, ranging from C1 to CX and Im1 to Im4.
Cracking: Coating defect of fissures through the film due to embrittlement, stress, or excessive thickness.
Cratering: Small bowl-shaped depressions in a wet film, usually caused by silicone contamination or substrate contamination.
Cross-cut test: Adhesion test in which the coating is cut in a grid pattern and lifted with tape to assess flaking.
Cuprous oxide: Principal copper biocide in marine antifouling paints, typically supplied as a red powder.
Cuprous thiocyanate: White copper biocide used where light pigmentation is required.
Cure: Successful salvage outcome that triggers a reward under the no cure no pay principle.
Curing agent: Reactive component of a two-pack system, often supplied as part B.
Cybutryne: Anti-fouling biocide also known as Irgarol 1051, banned under the AFS Convention amendment in force 1 January 2023.
Cyclic test: Accelerated laboratory exposure alternating between salt fog, UV, and humidity to predict coating durability.

D

Dabbing: Hand application by brush or sponge into difficult corners and weld details.
DCOIT: 4,5-Dichloro-2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, a booster biocide marketed under the trade name Sea-Nine 211.
Dead front antifouling: Layer of leached antifouling no longer releasing biocide effectively, requiring removal at drydock.
Deck paint: Coating system designed for atmospheric exposure of weather decks, often including antiskid aggregate.
Dehumidification: Removing moisture from cargo hold air using refrigerant or desiccant units.
Delamination: Separation of coating layers or of the coating from the substrate.
Dew Point: Temperature at which water vapor condenses; key to ventilation decisions.
DFT: Dry film thickness, the measured thickness of the cured coating, expressed in micrometers.
Diaphragm pump: Pneumatic transfer pump used for high-viscosity epoxy mixing and supply to spray equipment.
Diatom: Single-celled alga with silica frustule, dominant primary producer in productive seas.
Diluent: Solvent added in controlled quantity to adjust the application viscosity of a coating.
Direct to metal: Coating that may be applied without a primer to prepared steel, used in some industrial maintenance products.
Disbondment: Loss of adhesion between coating and substrate, often near coating defects.
DNV-OS-C401: DNV offshore standard governing fabrication and testing including coatings.
Doctor blade: Tool used to apply solvent-free coatings at controlled thickness on flat decks and tank surfaces.
Double-side skin space: Cargo hold side void in single-side skin bulk carriers retrofitted with double-side construction, included in PSPC scope.
Draft pipe: In-tank construction feature whose coatings are inspected during PSPC sign-off.
Drumming: securing oil drums for sea transport at breakbulk terminals.
Dry dock: Basin pumped dry for hull work.
Dry-to-handle: Stage of cure at which a coating can be touched lightly without damage.
Dry-to-overcoat maximum: Time beyond which the previous coat must be roughened or treated before overcoating.
Dry-to-recoat: Time after application at which the next coat may be applied.
Dry-to-service: Time after application at which the coating may be immersed or placed in service.
Drying time: Generic term for time required to reach a specified film state.
Dust contamination: Residue from blasting that must be removed to ISO 8502-3 limits before coating.

E

Edge retention: Capability of a coating to maintain dry film thickness over sharp edges, important for tank-lining qualification.
Edge stripe: Brush- or roller-applied coat of paint on edges, welds, and corners before each spray coat.
Edge treatment: Grinding of sharp edges to a minimum radius (typically 2 mm under PSPC) to ensure adequate coating retention.
EH36: High-strength low-alloy steel grade commonly coated in shipbuilding.
Elcometer: Brand name commonly used generically for coating inspection instruments.
Elcometer 456: Widely used digital DFT gauge for marine coatings inspection.
Electrochemical noise: Monitoring technique for corrosion and coating breakdown rates in laboratory testing.
Electrostatic spray: Application method seldom used in marine work but common in shop primer lines.
Encapsulation: Use of a coating to over-seal asbestos or lead-bearing paints when full removal is impractical.
Engine room coating: Heat- and oil-resistant epoxy or alkyd system applied to machinery space bulkheads and tank tops.
Epoxy: Generic resin family forming the backbone of marine anticorrosive primers and tank linings.
Epoxy mastic: Surface-tolerant epoxy formulated for application to hand-cleaned or marginally prepared steel.
Epoxy novolac: High chemical-resistance epoxy used for cargo tank linings carrying aggressive chemicals.
Epoxy phenolic: Tank-lining chemistry providing solvent resistance for product tankers.
Epoxy zinc: Variant of zinc-rich primer using epoxy as binder.
Erosion: Loss of antifouling film through hydrodynamic shear, exploited in CDP and SPC systems for biocide release.
EU BPR: European Union Biocidal Products Regulation governing approval of antifouling biocides in EU member states.
Evaporation rate: Rate at which solvent leaves a coating film, affecting recoat windows and dry times.
Expansion tank coating: Lining of fresh-water expansion tanks usually with potable-water-approved epoxy.
Exterior topside: Painted area between boot top and main deck, normally finished in polyurethane or modified epoxy.

F

Fabric reinforcement: Glass fabric embedded in epoxy used for crack bridging at deck and weld repairs.
Fairing compound: Heavy-bodied epoxy filler used to smooth steel hulls before topcoating, common on yachts.
Fasco: Industry abbreviation seen in some shipyard QA documents for fast-cure epoxy.
Ferrous sulfate test: Method for detecting soluble iron contamination on cleaned steel.
Field coat: Coating applied to weld zones and damaged areas after pipe or block coating at site.
Field joint coating: In offshore pipelines, coating applied to joints in the field after welding.
Film build: Wet or dry film thickness achieved per spray pass.
Film defect: Any visible discontinuity in a coating film, including pinholes, holidays, runs, and sags.
Finish coat: Last layer of a coating system, providing color, gloss, and weather resistance.
Fish-eye: Crater defect in a wet film caused by silicone or oil contamination of the substrate.
Flake: Lay a rope or chain in long figure-eight loops on deck.
Flame spray: Thermal spray process used to apply aluminum or zinc coatings for long-life corrosion protection.
Flash off: Initial solvent evaporation before applying the next coat or wet-on-wet pass.
Flash point: Lowest temperature at which fuel vapor ignites with a pilot flame; minimum 60 C for SOLAS marine fuels (Pensky-Martens closed cup, ISO 2719).
Float coat: Single thick coat applied wet-on-wet to limit overcoating intervals.
Floating dock: U-shaped or L-shaped floating dry dock.
Fluoropolymer topcoat: High durability topcoat using PVDF resin, used on offshore topsides and floating production units.
Flux: Welding consumable whose residues must be removed before coating.
Foul Release Coating: Coating that prevents firm attachment of biofouling.
Foul-release silicone: Antifouling category based on PDMS chemistry, exemplified by International Intersleek 700/757/900/1100SR and CMP Bioclean.
Fouling: Accumulation of marine growth on submerged surfaces leading to increased drag and fuel consumption.
Fouling control coating: General term covering both biocidal antifoulings and biocide-free foul-release systems.
Fouling pressure: Local intensity of marine fouling driven by water temperature, nutrients, and idle time.
FROSIO: Norwegian Professional Council for Education and Certification of Inspectors for Surface Treatment, issuing inspector qualifications widely used in marine and offshore work.
FROSIO Level III: Certified Inspector grade under the FROSIO scheme used for marine and offshore protective coatings inspection.
Functional coating: Coating intended primarily to provide a service (antifouling, fire protection, chemical resistance) rather than decoration.

G

Galvanic anode: Zinc/aluminum anode per ASTM B418/F1182.
Galvanic series: Ranking of metals by electrochemical potential in seawater, used to design CP systems.
Garnet: Naturally occurring abrasive, often almandite garnet, valued for low dust and recyclability.
Gelcoat: Polyester or vinyl ester surface coating on glass-reinforced plastic boats, not a marine paint per se but adjacent in maintenance practice.
Glass flake epoxy: Highly chemical- and water-resistant epoxy containing glass flake pigment, common in ballast tanks and offshore submerged zones.
Globic: Hempel antifouling product family including Globic 9000 self-polishing antifoulings.
Glycol ether solvent: Slow-evaporating co-solvent in some epoxy formulations.
Grade A: ISO 8501-1 designation for steel covered with adherent mill scale and little or no rust.
Grade B: ISO 8501-1 designation for steel that has begun to rust and from which mill scale has begun to flake.
Grade C: ISO 8501-1 designation for steel from which mill scale has rusted away or can be scraped, with slight pitting.
Grade D: ISO 8501-1 designation for steel from which mill scale has rusted away and on which general pitting is visible.
Graving dock: Land-recessed drydock used for hull coating and structural work.
Grease zone: Area such as ramp hinges or steering gear room where coatings must resist hydrocarbon contamination.
Greenhouse compatibility: Coating capability of being applied within a temporary climate-controlled enclosure on hull or tank.
Grit: Generic term for angular abrasive used in surface preparation.
Grit blasting: Surface preparation using angular grit to provide an angular surface profile, preferred for epoxy coatings.
Grit recovery: Reclamation of expendable abrasive by sweeping and screening, where regulations permit reuse.
Grit-blasted steel: Steel surface prepared to ISO 8501-1 grade Sa 2.5 or Sa 3 by impingement with angular grit.

H

Hand cleaning: Surface preparation by hand wire brush or scraper, designated St 2 or St 3 in ISO 8501-1.
Hard coating: Coating that has cured fully and does not soften under solvent or service temperature, distinguished from a soft coating in MARPOL applications.
Hardener: Reactive Component B that cures the base resin in a two-pack coating.
Hardness: Resistance of a cured coating to indentation, measured by Persoz, Sward, or shore durometer.
Heat-resistant aluminum: Silicone-aluminum coating used on exhaust uptakes and funnel internals.
Heat-resistant silicone: Coating chemistry capable of service to about 600 degrees Celsius for exhaust uptakes.
Heavy-duty coating: Marine and protective coating designed for severe service environments.
Hempadur: Hempel pure-epoxy range used as primer, intermediate, and tank lining.
Hempadur Quattro: Hempel high-build epoxy product line for hull and ballast tank applications.
Hempaline: Hempel range of tank linings for chemical and product cargoes.
Hempaprime: Hempel underwater hull primer family used beneath antifoulings.
Hempasil: Hempel silicone-based fouling-release coating brand.
Hempasil X3: Hempel silicone hydrogel fouling-release coating system.
Hempel: Danish marine coatings manufacturer founded in 1915 by J.C. Hempel, headquartered in Lyngby.
HEMPEL Globic: Self-polishing copolymer antifouling brand.
Hempel Marathon: Hempel CDP antifouling family for short docking intervals and slower vessels.
Hempel Olympic: Hempel self-polishing copolymer antifouling family for ocean-going trade.
Hi-build epoxy: Epoxy coating formulated to apply at 200 to 500 micrometers per coat.
Holding primer: Quick-drying shop primer applied to blasted steel plate to maintain cleanliness during fabrication.
Holiday: Coating discontinuity such as a missed area, pinhole, or thin spot.
Holiday detector: Low- or high-voltage instrument used to find coating discontinuities by electrical contact through the film to the substrate.
Hot work coating: Coating that withstands subsequent welding heat without releasing toxic fumes, used in shop primers.
Hull coating: Composite coating system applied to underwater hull, including anticorrosive primer, tie coat, and antifouling topcoat.
Hull fouling: Accumulation of marine organisms on the underwater hull causing increased frictional resistance.
Hull roughness: Average hull roughness Ra measured in micrometers, used to monitor antifouling and surface condition.
Humidity: Water-vapor content of the atmosphere.
Hybrid coating: Coating combining two binder chemistries, such as epoxy-siloxane or acrylic-polyurethane.
Hydroblasting: Ultra-high-pressure water jetting used for paint removal and surface preparation without abrasive.
Hydrodynamic smoothness: Property of an antifouling surface that minimizes added frictional resistance.
Hydrogel surface: Water-bound surface layer formed by certain silicone fouling-release coatings to mimic biological non-stick interfaces.

I

ICAF: Impressed Current Antifouling system, distinct from ICCP, dosing copper and aluminum ions into sea chests.
ICCP: Impressed Current Cathodic Protection, a hull protection system using rectified DC and inert anodes to polarize the hull.
IMO: International Maritime Organization, UN specialized agency for shipping safety, security, and pollution prevention.
IMO AFS Convention: International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, 2001.
IMO MEPC Resolution 378(80): 2023 Biofouling Guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling.
IMO PSPC: Performance Standard for Protective Coatings adopted as Resolution MSC.215(82) for dedicated seawater ballast tanks and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers.
IMO PSPC-COT: Performance Standard for Protective Coatings adopted as Resolution MSC.288(87) for cargo oil tanks of crude oil tankers.
In-Service Inspection: Periodic survey of cables and pipelines after commissioning to detect exposures, free spans, or third-party damage.
Inhibitor: Chemical additive that retards corrosion at the steel-coating interface.
Inspection Report: Form A and Form B in Paris MoU recording inspection particulars and deficiencies.
Intercoat adhesion: Bond strength between adjacent coats in a multi-layer system.
Intercoat contamination: Foreign matter deposited between coats that may impair adhesion.
Intermediate coat: Coating layer between primer and finish providing barrier and build properties.
International Intercept: Self-polishing copolymer antifouling product range from International marine coatings.
International Intershield: Pure epoxy anticorrosive primer family used in tanks and underwater hulls.
International Intersleek 1100SR: Slime-release silicone-fluoropolymer fouling-release coating.
International Intersleek 700: Foul-release silicone hull coating launched by International Paint in 1996.
International Intersleek 757: Tie coat used in the Intersleek foul-release system.
International Intersleek 900: Fluoropolymer fouling-release coating launched in 2007.