The 2026 maritime regulations are driving upgrades, and flexible protective coatings for ships are becoming the mainstream choice for green anti-corrosion.

By 2026, the IMO regulations on ship biofouling management and mandatory low-VOC standards for marine coatings will be fully implemented. Traditional high-solvent epoxy anticorrosive coatings will be restricted, and solvent-free elastic functional protective coatings, thanks to their environmental friendliness, long-lasting effect, and efficient application, will become the preferred materials for protecting ballast tanks, cargo holds, splash zones, and decks on ships.  

This year, many domestic shipyards and shipping companies are adopting domestically produced marine elastic functional protective coatings in bulk for new shipbuilding and refurbishment of old vessels. Compared to conventional epoxy coatings, these marine elastic functional protective coatings resist salt spray, acid and alkali erosion, and mineral impact. They are seamless, highly stretchable, and can accommodate hull deformation, with a designed service life of up to 20 years. Additionally, they cure in just a few seconds, can be applied on vertical and overhead surfaces without sagging, significantly shortening repair dock time and reducing ship downtime losses.  

At the same time, the smooth, dense elastic functional protective coatings can reduce marine organism attachment, lower ship resistance, and help vessels meet CII carbon intensity requirements. Domestic elastic functional protective coating companies continue to optimize marine-specific formulas, and aliphatic aspartic elastic functional protective coatings are gradually being used on ship superstructures for long-term outdoor weather resistance and anticorrosion.  

With the promotion of environmental upgrades for old inland and coastal ships, the market demand for marine elastic functional protective coatings continues to expand, making them the core new materials in the maritime green anticorrosion field.