Coppercoat advice

[EwanClark]

As a rule I try to keep away from making comments on forums such as this, but when the "information" posted is dangerously misleading and inaccurate, it becomes time to speak up!

I am a director of Aquarius Marine Coatings Ltd, the manufacturer of Coppercoat anti-foul. I am fully qualified to give accurate advice about all issues concerning the use and application of Coppercoat and I strongly recommend that anybody considering the use of our anti-foul speak to us directly.

Coppercoat has been produced since the early 1990's and approximately 35,000 boats have been treated worldwide. Given this success it is perhaps not surprising that other companies have tried to produce similar products - over recent years we have seen Copperbot 2000, Cupro-FF, Cop-R-bot, CopperGuard and Copperplus amongst others. All have failed and are no longer available. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, there are times when people confuse our Coppercoat product with one of these failed copies. Because of this confusion some forum contributors offer well meant advice that is, in fact, inaccurate.

For example, one contributor implies that Coppercoat is available in different formulations for different conditions. This is not correct. We have only ever produced one version of Coppercoat and this is used world-wide in a huge variety of climatic conditions.

We recommend that Coppercoat be applied when the hull and ambient temperatures are at or above 8 degrees Centigrade, though we are fully aware that many people successfully use the product below this temperature. The rate of cure is, in part, dictated by temperature and warmer conditions allow for faster curing (and consequently quicker overcoating). Although Coppercoat can be applied in cooler conditions this does slow the whole application process.

Another contributor mentions that Coppercoat will not cure below 8 degrees, and that if the temperature drops below this point the coating will stop curing and not re-start. This is not correct. Coppercoat will not cure at temperatures below 1 degree, but will cure at temperatures above this. It is common for the rate of cure to slow during the night as temperatures drop, but then speed up again during the following day.

Within the UK most Coppercoat is applied during March and April, so, contrary to the advice given by another contributor, you do not need to wait for the 12 degree night-time temperatures of July! I shudder to think how hard it would be to a run a business selling an anti-foul that could only be applied in July!

A couple of contributors mention cleaning the hull with white spirit or acetone prior to application. Please do not do this! The application instructions supplied with Coppercoat (and viewable on the website www.coppercoat.com) specifically warn against this. Coppercoat uses a water-based epoxy as its base, and this is not readily compatible with oil-based thinners such as acetone.

I would like to sign off with some general advice. When reading about Coppercoat on a forum, make sure that the information provided is actually about Coppercoat, and not "copper epoxies" in general. Many people do not know the difference between Coppercoat and the failed copies listed above. Similarly, if you need technical advice regarding application, please go the website to read the instructions and watch the demontstration video or simply contact us by e-mail or telephone - we are hear to help and are uniquely qualified so to do.

I hope that this clears some confusion.

 

[Sans Bateau]

It was myself who suggested (as I had cleaned hull with a solvent) cleaning off the hull with white spirit, it was in fact cellulose thinners I had used, and this was after grit blasting. I did this to remove any grease or oil. Once this was done the solvent was allowed to evaporate completely. I should also point out this was prior to application of ME100, before the Coppercoat. In view of this and any solvent having evaporated, what is the likely effect? Coppercoat has been on the boat now for 5 years without any problem.

 

[snowleopard]

De-greasing of GRP is not as straightforward as it sounds. While I was building my boat I experimented with bond strength with abrading and de-greasing. The results were conclusive (though I only used one solvent - acetone).

I took a piece of GRP straight from the mould and bonded patches to it (all polyester)

Untreated: Patch peeled off with minimal force

Surface washed with acetone before laminating: Patch peeled off with minimal force.

Surface abraded: The patch disintegrated before the bond failed

Abraded and washed: ditto.

My conclusions were that de-greasing with Acetone is useless and that a polyester-to-polyester bond is as strong as the laminate itself provided it is adequately abraded. I abraded with a 24 grit disc in an angle grinder.

Back to the original topic, I abraded my hulls with a coarse wet/dry paper, used wet, before applying Coppercoat. I spoke to a professional who was applying the stuff nearby after I did mine. He insisted that you should de-grease and that abrading was insufficient. My first coat stayed stuck to the hulls, it was the second coat failing to adhere to the first that caused the problem.

And one other point to mention. It doesn't work if the boat is on a drying mud berth. To be fair, I haven't found anything that does work apart from scrubbing 3 times a season!

 

[Sans Bateau]

OK, as my hull was grit blasted first, that made it VERY abraded. I was wondering though and hence my question to mr coppercoat, why not use a solvent, so long as it is given time to dry? I'm also curious about you second coat peeling?? Did you leave a long period of time between coats? We applied wet on tacky, successfully.

 

[EwanClark]

It sounds as though you took good care to ensure that any solvent had evaporated completely before you proceeded with the application work, which was very wise. (Many people work too quickly and problems can occur if the solvent residue is not allowed to escape). The fact that the ME100 anti-osmosis protective epoxy has stuck well for many years would indicate that your surface preparation was to the necessary standard.

Whilst on a this general topic I am pleased to see that the Coppercoat is still working well for you after 5 years. Your boat is yet another to benefit from Coppercoat and goes to prove the doubters on this forum wrong!

 

[snowleopard]

First coat one afternoon, next coat the following morning. Middle of summer, no rain or dew in between.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Ah! That will have been the problem that caused the peeling then. From Mr Coppercoats application instructions:

[ QUOTE ]
Under normal circumstances a minimum of four coats are required. Second, third and fourth coats should be applied
as soon as the previous coat allows – i.e. after approximately one hour at 20 degrees Centigrade. To ensure a
satisfactory chemical bond between coats, all the required coats should be applied consecutively in a single day.
Note: on most boats, by the time the first coat has been completed, the start point is sufficiently cured to accept the
second coat – consequently the application of the Coppercoat system is a continuous one. If the vessel to be treated
is too large to be painted with all coats in one day by the workforce available, simply treat a manageable sized
section – apply all the necessary coats to this section from start to finish in one day,

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[pmyatt]

We used Coppercoat on our first boat, Freelance of Restronguet. Unfortunately low temperatures in Dover in February 2000 prevented proper adhesion in some places so we had it removed in 2004. Am now in Cyprus with a different boat - no temperature problems, it's January and the nighttime temperature has not dropped below 12℃ for several nights. Am considering another bash at Coppercoat. I understand that current legislation limits copper content to 2 kg per litre of resin - is this correct? Secondly, if I don't give a [--word removed--] about EU legislation and want to add more copper to the resin, would it be effective?

 

[snowleopard]

Which is why I always say have it done professionally, then you have some comeback.

 

[Elessar]

WOW hold on. It was me that stated that the curing would not restart and that was what I was told by coppercoat when I rang the head office.
I am not confusing the product with any other and I am accurately quoting the advice I was given directly by one of your employees.
On the basis of this advice I relaunched my boat. The lift out to apply the coppercoat cost me approximately £400 and I relaunched without applying it because of the specific advice of one of your "uniquely qualified" staff.
This confusion is an added concern to me rather than clearing a concern, and I am very unhappy. I suggest you send me a PM to get a phone number.