PPG SIGMAGLIDE 2390 Marine Coating Receives Green Chemistry Award from American Chemical Society

PPG has received a 2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute. PPG was recognized in the Design of Safer Chemicals category for PPG SIGMAGLIDE 2390 coating, a biocide-free, silicone-based fouling release technology that helps vessel owners and operators improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and avoid the release of antifoulants into marine environments.

Applicators electrostatically apply PPG SIGMAGLIDE® 2390 marine coating to a vessel hull. The biocide-free fouling release technology helps improve vessel efficiency and reduce emissions. (Photo: PPG)

The ACS Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognize technologies that advance sustainability through innovative chemistry and deliver environmental, economic and performance benefits.

“This recognition from ACS underscores the role innovative solutions can play in addressing complex sustainability challenges,” said David Bem, PPG senior vice president, science and technology, and chief technology officer. “With PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating, our scientists took a fundamentally different approach to marine fouling control, designing a solution that eliminates the need for biocides while delivering significant performance benefits. The coating is also suitable for electrostatic application, a method PPG introduced to the marine industry that helps reduce overspray and waste during dry dock applications. This award recognizes how material design can help address environmental challenges at their source.”

Marine biofouling on vessel hulls increases hydrodynamic drag, resulting in higher fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating incorporates PPG HYDRORESET™ technology, which senses the presence of water and reorganizes the coating surface at the nanoscale to create an ultrasmooth, ultra low-friction interface. Marine organisms do not recognize the surface as a suitable substrate for permanent attachment and are more readily released during vessel movement.

Third party evidence following ISO 19030 and the International Towing Tank Conference standards demonstrates that the coating can provide potential power savings of up to 20% and potential reductions in CO₂ emissions of up to 35%, with actual performance depending on vessel type and operating conditions.

“The marine industry is increasingly focused on solutions that improve operational efficiency while reducing environmental impact,” said Amy Ericson, PPG senior vice president, Protective and Marine Coatings. “PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating demonstrates that ship owners and operators do not have to choose between sustainability and performance. By helping reduce drag without relying on antifoulants, the technology delivers meaningful value for our customers while helping protect the marine environments in which they operate.”

The award reflects PPG’s commitment to developing innovative, sustainably advantaged solutions that solve customers’ biggest challenges. Through technologies such as the PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating, PPG combines high performance with responsible chemistry to help customers improve operational efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and advance their decarbonization goals.