Bio-fouling is theunwanted accumulation of micro-organisms, plants, algae or sea animals on shiphull surfaces. These can reduce the speed of ships, increase fuel consumption,escalate costs and cleaning times, as well as polluting the environment. Several paints have been developed  to protect the surfaces of vehicles and structures in the sea against bio-fouling.  The most  efficient anti-fouling paints included TBT(Tributyltin), which proved toxic and which banned by the IMO. After the banning of TBT anti-fouling paint worldwide, copper-based paint has been used as an alternative anti-foulant to TBT for more than ten years. Recent studies show that copper also has a negative environmental effect. Copper is considered as toxic to marine organisms and harmful to certain fish. A number of Baltic countries have restricted the use of anti-foulıng paint, including copper oxide

BORTEK has developed copper free enviromentally friendly anti-fouling paints (AF) which include bio-compatible hexagonal boron nitride to prevent the attachment of various bio-fouling organisms encountered by the submerged section of ships. The paints were tested on two tour yachts for one season (nine months) and good results were obtained