CuNitec

[Graham_Wright]

I've just received a flyer about this. It claims that, due to the addition of nickel, it is superior to Coppercoat.

Any opinions or experience?

It does not offer DIY application so presumably would be more expensive (irrespective of the cost of the material).

 

[V1701]

This thread (from over 3 years ago) suggests not much has happened with the product...

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?214406-Copper-Nickel-antifouling

 

[EwanClark]

You must have found quite an old flyer Graham. CuNitec was dropped a couple of years ago, and then reappeared as CuniGuard. But the websites (www.cuniguard.co.uk and www.cuniguard.eu) are now down as well. And it didn't make an appearance at the London Boat Show this year. So I'm not sure whether it still exists or not - maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Certainly the company (EcoSea) that first came up with this system, using the name Cuprotect, stopped exhibiting at shows or supplying to boaties many years ago.

Without getting too technical, one of the problems with these systems was the presence of nickel - it slowed the degradation of the copper and limited the production of cuprous oxide. Which had the knock-on effect of reducing the anti-fouling performance. For effective protection from growth you really need copious amounts of cuprous oxide being produced continually - and that is why in Coppercoat we only use high purity copper (and never copper-nickel).

Only a small number of boats were ever treated with the Cuprotect/CuNitec/Cuniguard system and I am aware of several that have since been overcoated with Coppercoat.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I've just received a flyer about this.

For "received" read "found".

The paper on my desk is showing glimpses of something that looks suspiciously like wood.

 

[Plevier]

http://eco-sea.com/Cuprotect/Home.html works but no apparent mention of CuNiguard now.