The present invention relates to silica aerogels with a high to very high loading (55-90% w/w) of encapsulated biocidal and/or biorepellant compounds and very low thermal conductivity and to methods of making and using such aerogels in anti-fouling compositions, which are especially suitable for coatings (marine paints, coatings, sealants, lacquers, wood protection or similar controlled leaching systems) that are naturally exposed to humid conditions and/or water, including sea water, and thus prone to fouling.

A hardcoat comprising a host matrix, a nanoporous filler in which the dispersed phase is a gas, and nonporous nanoparticles. Also, coating and curable compositions useful for preparing the hardcoat, methods of preparing the hardcoat and compositions, articles comprising the hardcoat or composition, and uses thereof.

The present invention relates to a biocidal coating composition for a surface, comprising overlapping flat lamellar metallic nanoparticles and/or microparticles having a diameter of less than 45 microns, in suspension in a binder comprising an epoxy resin, a thixotropic agent and a natural diluent selected from among water, preferably demineralized water, and/or ethylene glycol and/or denatured alcohol. Moreover, the invention also relates to a coating process comprising a step of applying said composition, and to the use of the coating composition according to the invention for coating a surface.

The present invention relates to antifouling compositions comprising compounds of formula IA and/or IB that are highly effective against marine biofouling of surfaces of ships and marine structures, their use for inhibiting marine biofouling, as well as antifouling paints comprising said compositions.

A liquid repellent structure including: a surface to which liquid repellency is to be imparted; and a liquid repellent layer formed on the surface, wherein the liquid repellent layer contains a binder resin containing a fluorine-containing resin, and a filler dispersed in the binder resin, the filler contains a first filler having a BET specific surface area M of 100 m.sup.2/g to 400 m.sup.2/g, and a ratio M/F of the BET specific surface area M of the first filler to a mass F (mass %) of the fluorine-containing resin relative to a total mass of the liquid repellent layer is 1.5 to 4.0.

The invention provides a gelcoat composition for coating a sanitised water pool, the composition comprising: curable polymeric components comprising: (i) an unsaturated polyester base resin and (ii) a polyester-polyurethane prepolymer, wherein the polyester-polyurethane prepolymer is terminally functionalised with polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated functional groups; and reactive diluent, wherein the unsaturated polyester base resin is present in an amount of greater than 50 wt. % of the curable polymeric components, and wherein the polyester-polyurethane prepolymer is present in an amount of no more than 25 wt. % of the gelcoat composition.

Provided herein are coating formulations useful for endowing substrates with hydrophobic, superhydrophobic, and/or oleophobic properties and methods of use thereof. The coating formulation can include alkylalkoxysilane, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, nano-SiO.sub.2, a crosslinking additive, and at least one solvent.

The present invention is a composition of (a) a coating base selected from a water-dispersed coating, an epoxy polymer coating, an alkyd coating, a Type I urethane coating, or an unsaturated polyester coating; and (b) a fluorinated ester compound having a plurality of fluoroalkyl thioether groups, wherein the number average molecular weight of the fluorinated ester compound is ≤30,000 Da; and where the fluorinated group R.sub.f is independently a straight or branched perfluoroalkyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, which is optionally interrupted by one or more CH.sub.2, CFH, ether oxygens —O—, or combinations thereof. The fluorinated ester compounds provide cleanability to the resulting coating made from the present composition.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laminated film that exhibits superior water repellency and oil repellency and has good adhesion between a substrate film and a coating layer, and for this purpose, the laminated film is a laminated film comprising a substrate film and at least one coating layer laminated on the substrate film, wherein the coating layer contains an acid-modified polyolefin and hydrophobic oxide particles, and the acid-modified polyolefin has an acid value of 1 mgKOH/g or more and 60 mgKOH/g or less. Preferably, the laminated film is a solution means in which a surface of the coating layer has a contact angle with respect to water of 100 degrees or more.

Disclosed herein are methods specifically tailored for facilitating the mitigation of cosmetic impressions associated with fingerprint impressions on surface(s) of articles of manufacture made from anodized substrates. To this end, such methods provide for removal of fingerprints by enzymatically functionalizing the surface(s) of the article of manufacture (e.g., a cosmetic coating thereof) to generate an enzymatically active surface and activating such enzymatically functionalized surface(s) to promote such fingerprint removal. Thus methods and articles of manufacture made in accordance with such methods provide improved end-use utility and functionality of many products for consumer electronic applications, automotive applications, building materials applications, and the like.