What Aquasign is made of, and why 60 years is possible

Applies to: Offshore wind →

A 60-year anti-fouling guarantee sounds like marketing until you understand the mechanism behind it. It is not a coating that wears away. It is a material designed to keep working as it ages.

Most anti-fouling relies on a surface treatment or a biocide that is consumed over time. Once it is gone, growth takes hold. Aquasign works differently, and the difference is the whole reason the guarantee is credible.

An oil-exuding silicone

Aquasign markers are moulded from a non-toxic silicone that carries a proprietary oil in an internal reservoir. The surface is hydrophobic, so marine organisms struggle to attach in the first place. Crucially, the oil is released slowly from within over time, continually renewing the anti-fouling surface. Even as the outer surface ages or develops minor imperfections, fresh oil keeps it working. That is why the marker stays legible for decades rather than for a season.

Non-toxic by design

The system is 100% non-toxic. There is no biocide leaching into the water column, which matters both environmentally and for the growing number of operators working to biofouling and environmental guidance. The adhesives used to fix the markers are cleared for air freight and safe handling, so getting them to an offshore site is straightforward.

Built to be read, and to last

Beyond the anti-fouling chemistry, the markers are engineered for the job: UV stable so they do not fade in the splash zone or topside, dimensionally stable across the temperature and pressure range subsea, and available in formats from rigid discs to flexible wraps for cables and tethers. The identification is engraved into the material rather than printed onto it, so wear does not erase it.

Why the mechanism matters to you

When you specify Aquasign, you are not buying a number on a datasheet. You are buying a mechanism you can explain in a design review: a passive, continuous anti-fouling system with no consumable to run out and no maintenance to schedule. That is a far easier thing to defend than a coating with a service life. It is also why we are comfortable putting the guarantee in writing.