Marine Fouling Protection is the resistance to the detrimental buildup of microorganisms on Submerged surfaces and structures such as boat hulls and other marine equipment and/or systems. biofouling may include vegetation, animals and other microscopic organisms. Marine biofouling speeds up the corrosion process in structures and materials, causing accelerated operational failures and premature loss of overall performance. More simply put, it is the attachment of an organism or organisms to a surface in contact with water for a period of time. That explanation sounds fairly straightforward, but there are several mechanisms that cause biofouling. On boat hulls, biofouling results in increased roughness, turbulence and extra weight, reducing the ship’s maneuverability, laminar flow and carrying capacity. This domino effect continues when the ship's fuel consumption increases, in some cases by 30%. This in turn has economic and environmental impacts, as increased fuel consumption leads to increased output of greenhouse gases. Economic losses are tremendous, as fuel accounts for up to 50% of marine transportation costs. Parts of a boat, other than the hull, are affected as well ie: heat exchangers, water-cooling pipes, propellers and virtually everything else below the water line are fouled. Biofouling might also be found in power stations or factories. Just like a clogged drain in your kitchen or bathroom, buildup of matter inside cooling system pipes and screens decreases performance. Again, fouling causes a domino effect. Equipment must be cleaned frequently, at times with harsh chemicals, and the obstruction of piping can lead to a shutdown of plants and economic losses. 

Mussel Buster Propeller Protection^®

Patented and trademarked by Matrix Engineering Concepts, Inc., Mussel Buster Propeller Coating is an environmentally friendly and very effective way to keep your boat’s propellers and other underwater running gear in “Ready to Run” condition.  This “keeps you in your boat instead of under it,” which should be the goal of every boat owner and captain.  Make sure any light growth is removed with a Scotchbrite^® pad or wet/dry sand paper about once a month. Some customers report that, when they check the props, there is nothing to clean. The amount of cleaning is totally dependant on individual situations. There are too many variables to correlate into useable data. The only statement we can make is that, the faster you cruise, the more self cleaning, and the slower you cruise, the more cleaning may be necessary once a month.  Along that line, some boats that are cruising 30+ knots experience cavitation erosion through the coating to the base metal. Cavitation erosion is not a failure, see “Cavitation Erosion” on www.MusselBuster.com.  The areas of bare metal are due to cavitation issues. Our experience shows that barnacles and tube coral do not foul these areas because of the severe erosion occurring there.  Cavitation has many differing causes and combinations of causes, but Mussel Buster does not catastrophically fail because of eroded areas, it has a superior bond to the propeller. Mussel Buster Propeller Coatings routinely experiences 2 years of protection, equaling the more effective bottom paints.  Because of Mussel Buster’s unique technology, it is not sold to the general public, as an over the counter running gear coating. Mussel Buster is not an “Anti-Fouling” product, which would imply a pesticide. This coating is applied as a powder coating and is not in a liquid form and is applied in a controlled shop environment, which is how this system retains its consistent performance from one boat to another. Visit www.Musselbuster.com to find out more about this amazing marine coating system.