Ceramic coatings, or to give them their full and correct technical name, Polysilazanes, were introduced into the superyacht sector in the early years of the 21st century, as a transparent, durable protective coating.
Many industrial coating applications of Polysilazanes in their various formulations are well documented and researched. In the plastics and composites industry they were developed and utilised as a release agent for moulds. Most homes are familiar with them as a nonstick coating for pans and knives. In the superyacht industry they were introduced as a surface paint protection, after being used as an anti-graffiti paint for trains in Northern Europe. They are renowned for their high adhesion to most substrates, and their excellent anti- adherent properties. They are also extremely hard, cure well at low temperatures, and have excellent chemical crosslinking that ensures high chemical and thermal stability. Depending on the paint system used the typical life span of paint is 4-6 years. This is dependable on the application, maintenance from the crew and the atmospheric conditions that the paint is exposed to on a daily basis. Most two-part yacht paint systems are organic polymers and have been chemically formulated to combine characteristics which enable spray application, mechanical abrasion, and chemical bonding and enhance the cured finish appearance. The downside of formulating the polymers in this manner means that a high percentage of solvents are required to enable spray applications, and the impact of enclosing the painting process inside a temporarily constructed controllable environment has become prohibitively expensive, and environmentally unfriendly, as yachts have grown in volume. Very often repainting a vessel is simply not an option. In the early days of ceramic coatings on superyachts, little data was available about their long-term performance in the marine environment, not much specific data was available about the application parameters, and little to no research had been carried out on their proper removal when required.
To add to the concerns about this new technology from the wider coatings sector, there was some very unprofessional behaviour on the part of some ceramic applicators, who were winging it at this point… and very often unhelpful, or simply uncontactable, when problems arose.
For every ceramic project with a successful outcome, in these initial stages, there was at least the same amount or more that were on the wrong end of terrible customer service, sub-standard application and no label products. The type of problems that frequently arose, ranged from complete failure of the ceramic coatings, such as hazing, cracking and discoloration (predominantly due to incorrect application, poor surface preparation, or defective materials).
One of the main components in a ceramic coating is PDMS ‘Polydiimetilsiloxane’. One of the drawbacks of certain types of PDMS is that when sanded during a paint project they can become airborne and if the tent is not cleaned sufficiently, they can contaminate the application of the topcoat and cause craters. This is due to the difference in surface tension from the topcoat to the PDMS found in ceramic. This is the reason why if a ceramic is applied it must be removed prior to a repaint. If it’s not removed properly, it can be the cause of some major rows and costly litigation. Consequently, ceramics developed a negative reputation, and many yachts just steered well clear of the technology. Some of the criticism was deserved, but much of it was driven by other agendas.
The evolution of ceramic coatings and their acceptance in the market
As the number of mega yachts has become larger, (the number of yachts over 75 metres has increased from approximately 50 in 2008 to over 200 in 2023), the scale, cost, and complexity of superyacht paint projects has increased exponentially. In general, every additional 10 metres of LOA increased the painted surface area by up to double as volume and surface area increase in exponential proportion to LOA.
Many of the larger yachts are painted relatively early in the build process, and final delivery to the client can be as much as 12-18 months later, during which time vessels may sit in fit out berths, exposed to the environment, receiving minimal surface cleaning. This results in the paint down glossing before the owner has even received the vessel. Many captains are opting to apply a ceramic coating from new to maintain the gloss levels at new build stage.
The increase in the size of yachts also created a problem for their routine upkeep. Washing down the hull of a 100 metre plus yacht in a thorough way, removing salt particles, dirt, and contamination, and rinsing the cleaning agents fully, is challenging, to say the least. Ceramic coatings will provide a hard protective layer that will stop the contamination engraining into the paint pores and make cleaning easier.
Yacht paint down glosses, on average, at 10% per year, due to the impacts of salt water, exhaust emissions, UV exposure, and aggressive cleaning agents. After 5 years of exposure to the elements, yachts commonly exhibit highly uneven gloss readings of 20-70%. Down glossing is by no means uniform, and affects mostly areas that become contaminated, such as exhaust areas, brows and horizontal surfaces which are more exposed to UV degradation. Many clients apply a ceramic coating to stop the down glossing.
Efforts to clean contaminated areas, very often cause the paint to become more porous, due to cleaning agents with high alkali/acid contents used by crew. This can, and often does, lead to a cycle of ever more aggressive and time-consuming maintenance to keep the hull clean and free of staining.
So, to summarise, we have an increasingly costly paint process, which often leads to dispute, and is subject to ever tighter regulation from environmental protection interests. The paint has a finite life span, which is not uniform across its surface, and requires frequent reapplication. The demand for an alternative solution to re-painting every 5 years was growing, but there remained a widespread resistance to ceramics.
To add to this perfect storm of circumstance, the following EU Directive 2004/42/EC, of the European Parliament and of the Council dated 21 April 2004, on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in decorative paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products and amending Directive 1999/13/EC, created a more regulated environment, and shipyards and major paint manufacturers were challenged to reduce VOC emissions, or face the consequences of not doing so. The stage was set for a supplementary means of preserving the painted surfaces, and ceramics have occupied that role to an increasing extent over the last 10 years.
Yacht Captains, managers, and owner’s reps, looking for a solution to the challenges presented by the financial cost, environmental impact and lengthy downtime of repainting, have opted to apply ceramic coating to either extend the life of existing topcoat or to protect the paint from new.
On average, the cost of restoring and sealing with ceramic, per sq. metre of surface area, is around one quarter of the cost of full repaint per sq. metre. A ceramic coating, once applied over a well-prepared surface, will down gloss at a lesser rate than paint, but the process of a ceramic application is far less disruptive to the yachts availability for use, and a small fraction of the repaint cost. It is also possible to work on surfaces in a localised way, which more closely reflects the uneven rate and causes of down glossing, addressing areas of high wear and exposure, and so creating a shorter shipyard period, lower costs, and reduced VOC emissions, while preserving and maintaining gloss levels at a consistent level.
Another significant benefit of ceramic coating, due to their high anti adherent quality, is the ease of cleaning and maintenance. Areas coated with a ceramic, which become contaminated quickly, such as water lines, and exhaust areas, can be easily and regularly cleaned, without either mechanical assistance or aggressive cleaning agents. This leads to lower man hours of cleaning, and more time available to focus on other, more important aspects of operation.
This combination of circumstances has driven the continued demand for ceramic coatings, despite the early challenges.
Ceramics in the present day
The superyacht industry is demanding accurate product information, fully documented work process, and proven solutions.
At CeraShield the team has a proven certified removal system. We have developed a ceramic removal product and invested in laboratory testing with Optimiza Laboratories.
Following the complete removal of the ceramic, using the Cerashield removal gel, the paint work on each project is independently inspected and tested using an FTIR machine that can detect PDMS particles. This process determines that the paintwork is ceramic free, and the findings are documented, and shared with all relevant parties.
Here’s what Aeljandro Exposito from OPTIMIZA Consulting had to say:
CeraShield is a market leader in Ceramic removals and applications. CeraShield has made a big investment in research and working with Optimiza, a reputable independent materials consultancy and laboratory. The R&D projects included the study of different ceramic in the market, applications, accelerated ageing test, high performance chemical and physical test to understand the behavior of the ceramic coating on surfaces with topcoat and identify the best procedure to verify and qualify an efficient removal process prior to sanding to assist with a harmonious relationship between ceramic and paint applicators.
A large quantity of ceramic products from the automotive and yacht industry have been chemically identified in the laboratory with a specific fingerprint using advanced analytical techniques.
After thousands of hours of accelerated testing on salt, fog, condensation and UV chambers we observed that many of the coatings we tested, and their compounds (PDMS) will be lost during ageing depending on the hardness of the ceramic coating and the paint and the specific environmental exposure. Nevertheless, the residue PDMS that had tightly adhered to the surface was difficult to remove and the most efficient methods to ensure complete removal is by power tool cleaning (sanding) or suitable chemical stripping (removal gel).
The removal process of Cerashield consists of using specific chemicals tested in the laboratory. We tested the removal gel to make sure that there would be no damage to the topcoat during the removal process.
The procedure was qualified by the independent laboratory. The process needs to be carried out by trained technicians.
The removal process consists of several passes of the diluted chemical (removal gel) to the surface. After several accelerated and analytical tests, it was concluded that ceramic coatings and compounds can be fully and properly removed prior to sanding a painted surface.
During the research several panels were prepared and tested in the laboratory. We were also searching for a reliable method that could be used on a repaint project away from the lab to ensure complete removal.
Several techniques have been used in the laboratory to identify ceramics and ensure removal such as GC-MS, SEM/EDX, ToF SimS, contact angle analyzer and FT-IR-ATR. T We found a way to correlate the results of the laboratory using a specific FT-IR-ATR spectroscope on the field directly connected to the laboratory database to identify the removal of ceramic products on site by nondestructive means.
The result of the test needs to be very carefully interpreted by an experienced and knowledgeable technologist. A misinterpretation of the results can result in catastrophic failure and costs for the shipyards and owners.
The evaluation protocol consists of leaving a little reference area without applying the removal gel and mapping the complete surface to be sanded and painted with several measurement spots. The comparison of the reference area with the on-site measurement spots and the on-line real time connection with the laboratory data base indicates those areas where the ceramic is fully removed, or the removal gel needs to be reapplied until a full removal is guaranteed.
This is a big step forward in the industry where owners, management companies, shipyards and captains can make quick decisions and may have the information in real time by non-destructive means without the need to cut painted surfaces by destructive means and send to a laboratory and wait approximately 2 weeks until receiving the results.
The on-site NDT testing connected to the laboratory is an own developed Optimiza independent laboratory procedure called CRT (Ceramic removal test) and has been successfully used during the last season in more than 8 superyacht paint refit projects in the Mediterranean shipyards.
A Captain of 70m superyacht
“CeraShield ceramic coatings were applied onboard the vessel. At the time the original topcoat was only 3 years old but had endured a tough life and was showing gloss levels far below average. Claire’s team of expert polishers and applicators were able to quickly and efficiently prepare and coat approximately 70% of the entire vessel in a matter of weeks. The end result was incredible. Gloss levels were restored to the 90s and troublesome areas were able be cleaned with ease.
Since the application we cruised non-stop for 2.5 years with only minor signs of deterioration.
The ceramic coating was eventually removed in January 2020, prior to the start of our full paint job in February 2020. The removal process was straightforward, with the paint application company and paint surveyor happy with the result. At the start of the repaint an initial test patch of primer and topcoat was applied to the hull, which had no adverse effects or any signs of contamination. The paint job has since been completed to a high standard, with no sign of CeraShield being the cause of any contamination issues.
In summary, I would highly recommend CeraShield. Their product and service are excellent. Our paint was restored, and our inevitable paint job was prolonged by at least 3 busy seasons. The removal process was thorough and if managed and communicated openly with paint applicator and paint surveyor, I see no issues why there should be any negative affects when it comes to repainting.”
P.A. Bergsma BAS MP BBM Owner/Director of Coating Survey & Inspections S.L
“We recommend the 7-Micron ceramic coating version from CeraShield. This application has been extensively field tested and inspected by our company, including measurable data with excellent results. Application and subsequent removal of the ceramic coating and the influence this has on the integrity of the paint film prior to refinishing is non-existent. We would not hesitate to recommend CeraShield, and we are available to any client who might have questions or concerns on its application and intended use”.
David Freyer, Director of Storm Shipyard
“This project was quite daunting as all external areas had been treated with ceramic and records of products and when / how applied were not available. The ceramic coating had been applied in different periods, some reapplied after failure of the first application; CeraShield however were not the company that had applied the ceramic. The time frame for the repaint was short, a 9-week window to repaint including a 545 undercoat.
A team from CeraShield had got the contract to remove the coatings. The team was headed by Stan who has also extensive experience in paint application. CeraShield removal Gel was used for removal and done in a methodical sequence and in some areas up to 4 times. The team clearly had a procedure and control plan. This had obviously worked and all the topcoat paints had zero problems related to contamination.
From this experience, which is probably a worst-case scenario we cannot stress the importance of using professional crews for the application of ceramics, document exactly where its used and make an agreement at time of application for removal. Ceramic definitely has a place in our industry but should be used professionally”
By Claire Steel, CeraShield with contributions from Alejandro Exposito, OPTIMIZA