Janssen Preservation and Material Protection has announced that an ECONEA™-containing antifoulant coating is being used by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard to protect military sea craft.

Janssen Preservation and Material Protection has announced that an ECONEA™-containing antifoulant coating is being used by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard to protect military sea craft. Developed by Janssen PMP, ECONEA is a metal-free antifouling agent that protects vessels against aquatic growth without a potential negative impact on the marine environment compared to traditional, copper-based antifoulants. The coating was recently used to coat the 560-foot nuclear submarine U.S.S. Nevada. It is also being applied to U.S. Coast Guard aluminum hull crafts, eliminating the risk of galvanic corrosion that can occur when copper-based paints are applied to aluminum.

“Both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard have been true supporters of metal-free antifouling coatings,” says Dave Helmer, Director at Janssen PMP. “The use of ECONEA-containing paint on these vessels is a strong testimonial to the importance of ensuring high environmental standards in military applications.”

Research has shown that ECONEA provides effective protection against fouling at substantially lower concentrations in the paint formula than traditional copper-based antifouling agents. However, unlike copper compounds, ECONEA degrades rapidly once released at the surface of the paint – thereby not accumulating in the marine environment. Effective anti-fouling technologies like ECONEA are of great importance to the maritime industry, for both economic and environmental reasons. Compounds such as ECONEA, because of their effectiveness and performance, contribute to improving the energy efficiency of ships, whether recreational or commercial, while achieving a reduction in the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses.

In addition, unlike paints containing copper, ECONEA-based products can be effectively used on aluminum hulls without the risk of galvanic corrosion. Copper-free paints containing ECONEA also offer ship owners the potential advantages of added fuel savings and increased cargo compared to traditional copper-based paints, because eliminating copper provides a reduction in weight of up to 40 percent.

Tony Kempen, Manager New Product Development Antifouling, PMP, adds: "ECONEA is a unique anti-fouling product, which is quite as effective as the products that are being used today and quickly degradable. It improves the fuel efficiency of both recreational and commercial shipping and, by doing so, contributes to reducing global emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, all the while respecting marine fauna and flora."

ECONEA is a trademark of Janssen PMP and chemically is a pyrrole, more specifically 2-(p-chlorophenyl)-3-cyano-4-bromo-5-trifluoromethyl pyrrole. For more information about ECONEA, please visit www.janssenpmp.com.

ECONEA Wins ‘Belgian Business Award for the Environment 2009'

The pharmaceutical group Janssen Pharmaceutica was conferred with the first prize of the "Belgian Business Awards for the Environment 2009" by His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, in the presence of the Minister for Climate and Energy, Paul Magnette, Thomas Leysen, President of the FEB (Federation of Belgian Enterprises), and Jos Delbeke, Vice-Director-General of the Environment DG of the European Commission, for its marine anti-fouling product ECONEA™. ECONEA™ is an effective biocide which is used in a marine environment to fight unwanted marine organisms without causing any damage to marine flora or fauna.

This prize is awarded every two years in recognition of the Belgian businesses and institutions which commit themselves to this area and succeed in combining innovation, economic success and environmental protection.

Peter Putteman, General Manager of PMP, stresses that "Janssen Pharmaceutica is very proud of this award, a recognition of the team work and long-established commitment of the group to the search for solutions which protect the environment". He continues: "This prize will contribute to enhancing the image of the centre of expertise constituted by the research and development laboratories of Janssen Pharmaceutica at Beerse".

Janssen PMP - Preservation and Material Protection, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica nv

Janssen PMP is a centre of expertise for preservation and material protection of the Janssen Pharmaceutica group, which forms part of Johnson & Johnson. Janssen PMP is specialized in the discovery of molecules capable of protecting agricultural produce, like fruit, and protecting various materials, like wood, textiles, and coatings from attack by fungi, bacteria, algae, insects and marine fouling. Janssen PMP’s efforts are concentrated essentially on the replacement of existing compounds by more eco-friendly ones.