GLOBAL | Hunt Smart Surfaces GLOBAL | Hunt Smart SurfacesHistory of Smart Surfaces, LLC
The concept for Smart Surfaces began in 1991 when, then Lieutenant Commander, Dr. Joe Morris took an interest in the U.S. Navy’s developing efforts in environmentally friendly coatings. Up to this time, the Navy had relied on traditional antifoulant coatings to control biofouling on its warships. Biofouling is the adherence of barnacles, worms, and other hard fouling organisms to surfaces in contact with either fresh or salt water. Biofouling on ships results in increased drag, increased fuel consumption, and rapid biocorrosion. Typical antifouling coatings included tributyl tin (TBT) which results in poisoning of marine mammals, and copper ablative coatings which have been linked to toxic effects throughout the marine food chain. While these antifouling coatings had been effective, TBT was due to be banned (ban completed in 2003) by the International Maritime Organization due to its toxic effects. Copper, as a heavy metal poison, has been similarly under attack due to its toxicity.
As part of their efforts to develop more ecologically sound and effective coatings for the control of biofouling, the Navy embarked on an effort to improve upon the silicone fouling release coatings available in the early 1990’s. Silicones have been shown to exhibit the best characteristics of any material, including materials containing fluorocarbons such as Teflon, in a fouling release application.
Fouling release is the use of materials which are nontoxic and will foul but to which fouling organisms cannot remain bound once the vessel is underway. However, the advantage of silicone is also its Achilles heel. As organisms have difficulty attaching to silicone, silicone has difficulty attaching to a ship hull. Additionally, silicones are notoriously easily damaged as anyone who has caulked a window will attest. The Navy program developed technology that both solved the adhesion problem and significantly improved on the damage profile for this material.
During their test and evaluation, the Navy took the technology to full scale development, applying the coating to 10 small ships and 3 power plant intake tunnels. While these tests were highly successful, the technology was never commercialized because the tie coat was no longer produced as a commercial product. Dr. Morris, a pharmaceutical development scientist (and Naval Officer), when told of the commercialization difficulties decided to attempt to develop a scalable process for the production of the tie coat, a two year effort. After developing what he thought was a commercial process, he engaged Dr. Sam Gido (professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst) to verify the equivalence in the properties as compared to the original material. Once the identity of the properties was established, they asked Dr. Jimmy Mays (professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville) to confirm the reproducibility of the process. Being satisfied that they had reproduced an acceptable material, they approached the Navy for exclusive rights to the technology. The Navy concurred that the tie coat satisfied the requirements of the Duplex System, and in 2002, they were awarded commercialization rights to the technology.
However, shortly after acquiring the rights to the technology,Dr. Morris was recalled to Active Duty in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. He was tapped for his expertise in Biochemistry to participate in Navy and Department of Defense efforts to assist in the nation’s defense against weapons of mass destruction, most especially Biological Warfare Agents. While on active duty, however, Dr. Morris was able to advance the effort to commercialize the technology by working with the scientists and engineers at the Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals’ Dayton, Tennessee facility. Here over the next 12 to 18 months, they successfully scaled up the manufacture of the Duplex System Tie Coat to full manufacturing scale.
In April of 2006, Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film Co., ltd., announced the formation of Fuji Hunt Smart Surfaces, LLC., an advanced technology firm focused on the development and commercialization of environmentally safe, high performance fouling-release coatings for maritime and industrial applications. The new company will market and sell the patented Duplex Fouling Release Coating System developed by and licensed from the United States Navy. Fuji Hunt views this partnership as an opportunity to diversify from the core of photography and graphics and to expand its customer base. This technology fits neatly with Fuji’s core competency in coatings and its strong environmental focus.
Mr. Steven M. Escaravage has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of the new company. Mr. Escaravage brings over 30 years of business experience and serves in the capacity of Vice President Finance, MIS and Treasurer of Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals, Inc. Dr. Joseph P. Morris will serve as Vice President of Research and Development. Dr. Morris, founder of Smart Surfaces, has 22 years of biotechnology product development experience, as well as civilian and defense relationships developed as a former Commander in the U.S. Navy