MarineLine Composite has been introduced by Ohio, USA-based Advanced Polymer Coatings, Ltd. (APC) as a new product, complementing its existing, high performance MarineLine anticorrosion system, which is already challenging for market leadership in the specialist chemical tanks coating sector. 

The Siloxirane polymer-based MarineLine coating was launched in 1994 and has already proved highly successful due to a range of features, including its physical/bonding strength, cargo-range versatility, non-absorption and smooth surface characteristics, plus its significant cost and operational advantages over stainless steel. The new MarineLine 'composite' version now incorporates several purpose-designed advances.

These improvements have been developed and introduced to meet the 'top specification' requirements of chemical tanker owners and operators, enabling them to carry a wider range of IMO Class I products in cargo tanks meeting class society approval.

The MarineLine Composite lining system is 2.0-2.5 mm thick, reinforced with glassfiber. The composite nature and increased thickness of the lining provides exceptionally high tolerance to mechanical damage (over 10 times greater impact resistance than the current, very strong, MarineLine coating.)

The lining system also provides excellent resistance to a wide range of ultra-aggressive agents in the chemical pH band of 0.1 to 13.5. In fact, tanks totally lined with the new MarineLine Composite would meet IMO standards, enabling all IMO cargoes to be carried.

"Chemical tanker owners and operators are extremely interested in this new, reinforced lining for their vessels' cargo tanks," states Mr. Joe Harrington, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Polymer Coatings, "and we are getting new enquiries almost daily."

Cost Benefits:

There are also major cost savings associated with the MarineLine Composite system. One square meter of carbon steel lined with the MarineLine Composite system currently costs US$130, compared with more than US$510 for one square meter of high-grade stainless steel. In a case study undertaken by APC, the new-building cost of a high-specification 37,000 dwt Double Hull Chemical Tanker with stainless steel tanks - at US$70-75 million - is almost twice that of its MarineLine Composite protected carbon steel tanks equivalent.

When taken together with the quick turnaround delivered by the smooth film surface and non-absorption features of MarineLine coated tanks, the operational, in-service savings are even more substantial. In a direct comparison with Phenol Epoxy and Zinc Silicate-coated tank cleaning and drying, essential after discharge of cargo, MarineLine can increase ship owner's or operator's profits by up to US$122 per sq m per year.

Such versatility and non-absorption means that MarineLine-coated tanks can save a minimum of 3/4 days per port call out of an average 8/10 days which such vessels normally spend on cargo discharge and tank cleaning. With an average of 18-20 port calls a year, this means that the MarineLine protected chemical tanker could be operational for an additional 54-80 days annually, with corresponding increases in revenue returns.

Using the same case study as above, in which the 37,000 dwt MarineLine Composite-lined chemical tanker generates a revenue of US$25,530 daily, the owner or operator can increase annual revenue by up to US$2m.

New Contracts:

The new tank lining is already in service with Marnavi SpA of Italy, which selected APC's newly-developed MarineLine Composite system to convert and upgrade its in-service tanker, MT 'Joran', to a high-specification chemical carrier. The lining system has resulted in the tanker being approved by classification society DNV to carry all IMO cargoes. It is currently transporting high grade Sulfuric Acid.

Involving 20 small tanks lined with MarineLine Composite to a height of 1.5 meters, the 'pilot' lining system was applied in early 1997 under the control of leading anticorrosion expert Dr. Norbert Ackerman of Anticorrosion Service, at the Termoli shipyard, Italy.

A contract for MarineLine Composite has also been signed with the Latvian Shipping Company. Having already used the MarineLine anticorrosion system to upgrade three of its tankers - MT 'Indra' (late 1994), MT 'Dzintari' (mid 1995), and then MT 'Zanis Griva' (May 1997) - Latvian Shipping asked APC to further improve the tank coating specification and cargo carrying capabilities of MT 'Indra'.

The conversion and upgrade carried out at the Lisnave Shipyard, Lisbon, Portugal during the September-November '98 period, will also enable MT 'Indra' to transport IMO Class I cargoes. All 16 tanks have been lined with MarineLine Composite, covering the tank tops and walls, involving a total surface area of 3,800 sq m.

Such is the strength, versatility and chemical resistance of MarineLine that it has already received Type Approval from three major classification societies, Det Norske Veritas, the Russian Maritime Ministry, and Registro Italiano Navale, for the carriage of Methanol, EDC, Premium Gasoline, Caustic Soda, Sulfuric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Formic Acid and Acetic Acid. DNV an RINA supervised all testing at the Laboratorio Chimico Merceologico laboratories located in Genoa, Italy.