AQ SHIELD MARINEAuthorized distributor — earth Beauty ltd

Liquid Glass Marine Coating

What protects the hull is not paint. It is glass.

AQ SHIELD is a liquid glass coating that turns glass-like as it cures; it protects hull bottoms and propellers from barnacle fouling for years without releasing antifouling agents into the sea — ending the era of “recoat by default”.

Patented technologyJapanese Patent No. 7936642 — AQ SHIELD MARINE / MARINEα

10+ years without recoating (target)Figure published by AQ

Inorganic silica-basedNo antifouling agents, no leaching

250,000 piecesWooden tableware adopted by a major restaurant chain

Founded 1998earth Beauty ltd, authorized distributor of AQ SHIELD

Superyacht at sea — AQ SHIELD marine coating

Honest note: in the marine field we are still building our track record. That is exactly why we show our evidence openly — test data and results from other fields. Seto Inland Sea immersion test ↓

The Problem

Why conventional antifouling is the problem

Conventional (self-polishing) coatings work by slowly dissolving and releasing antifouling agents; the film is consumed, so recoating every few years is built in.

Recoating costs keep stacking up

Haul-out, stripping, repainting, re-launch — cost and downtime repeat each cycle.

Fouling takes fuel and labour

Barnacles and algae raise drag, cut speed and fuel efficiency; removal is heavy work that can damage the hull.

Antifouling agents flow into the sea

Leaching systems are inseparable from marine environmental load.

The longer the voyage, the greater the cost of fouling.

Features

Three promises of a glass-like film

A film that does not dissolve changes what antifouling can be — for the vessel, for maintenance, and for the sea.

Protection that lasts — a film that does not wear away

Think of the difference this way: a conventional coating is like adhesive tape that peels to expose a fresh surface; AQ SHIELD is like protective glass that keeps guarding the body underneath.

AQ-published target of 10+ years without recoating — not a guaranteed figure
Local damage can be repaired by recoating over it
Fewer recoats mean lower lifecycle cost

Protection that stays beautiful — a surface fouling cannot enter

Drinks do not soak into a glass tumbler. In the same way, nano particles fill micro-irregularities to create an extremely smooth glass surface.

Suppresses barnacle and algae attachment, and what does attach is easier to remove
A smooth hull also helps reduce hydrodynamic drag
MARINEα is the antifouling specialist; MARINE allows gloss and color adjustment

Protection for the sea, too — antifouling that does not dissolve

The main component is inorganic silica, the same material as sand and stone. No antifouling agents are used and the film does not dissolve, so no harmful substances leach into the water.

Petroleum-free formulation (no petroleum-derived synthetic resins)
Inorganic composition produces no toxic gases when burned
The cured film complies with Food Sanitation Act standards (information from AQ Co., Ltd.)

Technology

“Apply it and it becomes glass” is not a metaphor.

Glass is normally made by melting at high temperature. AQ SHIELD is applied at room temperature and forms a glass-like film as it dries, built on AQ’s proprietary composite glass binder technology.

Illustration of a hull cross-section showing the glass-like coating structure

How the film is structured

Glass binder (outer) — a hard glass-like shell of silica that encloses the functional materials so they are not exposed at the surface
Silica-based functional materials (inner) — held by the binder so antifouling and anti-corrosion functions last
Substrate (the hull) — strong adhesion directly to FRP, metal, wood and more

The contrast: most glass coatings merely mix silica into a paint binder, leaving material exposed at the surface, so performance drops — AQ says the difference shows in about a year. AQ SHIELD’s enclosing structure is the difference.

Glass-like, yet it does not crack

Tough yet flexible, the film follows substrate movement. One coat, no primer needed.

Nano-scale particles

Particles fill micro-roughness so fouling organisms struggle to gain a foothold.

Blocking the agents of decay

UV, water, salt and CO₂ are shut out, suppressing rust and substrate degradation — what is protected is the asset, not just the appearance.

Proven where salt attacks

Anti-corrosion and salt-barrier technology proven on bridges and tunnels, applied to the harshest saltwater environment.

Films that decay, and films that don’t.

Films made from petroleum resins oxidise under UV and oxygen, fading and cracking over time. Silica (SiO₂) is silicon in its fully oxidised final form — it cannot oxidise further and is not broken down by UV. That is why crystal keeps its brilliance for millennia. The AQ SHIELD film is a glass-like film with this silica skeleton.

Silica
The substance, SiO₂

Crystal (quartz)
Its crystalline form

Glass
Its melted-and-solidified form

All three are the same SiO₂.

A glass cup and a plastic cup compared after ten years by the sea

A simple analogy

Leave a glass cup and a plastic cup by the sea for ten years — the glass stays clear, the plastic turns cloudy white from UV and oxidation. A hull film is the same: what it is made of decides how it looks in ten years.

Not only for hulls

All AQ SHIELD products are based on the composite glass binder (per AQ Co., Ltd.). MARINE / MARINEα specialize that technology for antifouling hull coating.

Note: MARINE / MARINEα are for hull bottoms (below the waterline) only.

Video: A Hull Coating That Needs No Power? — the immersion-test panels

▶ Watch the video: A Hull Coating That Needs No Power? (about 2:20)

Comparison

Conventional antifouling vs. AQ SHIELD

	Conventional antifouling (leaching / self-polishing)	AQ SHIELD antifouling hull coating
How it protects	Film dissolves and releases antifouling agents	A non-dissolving glass-like film barriers the surface and suppresses attachment
Film wear	Wears with sailing, performance declines	Designed not to wear away, performance lasts
Recoating interval	Every few years is typical	10+ years is the target — a figure published by AQ, not a guarantee
Main components	Petroleum-derived synthetic resin + antifouling agents	Inorganic silica, petroleum-free, no antifouling agents
Leaching into the sea	Antifouling agents leach out	None
If fouling occurs	High-pressure washing and scraping	Smooth film makes removal easier, recoat repair possible
Compatible substrates	Product varies by use	Wide range: FRP, metal, wood

Comparison describes typical leaching-type systems; actual durability varies with sea area, sailing frequency and application conditions.

Track Record

New to vessels — so we let the technology’s record speak.

Marine installations are still to come; the coating itself has a long record with AQ Co., Ltd. in construction, civil engineering, food and automotive fields where failure is not an option.

FOOD

250,000 pieces — wooden tableware for a major restaurant chain, adopted after another major glass-coating maker could not make it work. Safety for items that touch the mouth, durability through washing.

DIPLOMATIC

An embassy’s stone exterior walls, retaining walls and gates.

AUTOMOTIVE

Wood protection in a luxury car showroom.

STATION

Station flooring — anti-slip, appearance, easier cleaning.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Tunnels and bridges — long-life protection of concrete and steel from UV, water, salt and CO₂.

INTERIOR

Quasi-non-combustible treatment and antifouling for shop interiors.

These are adoption records for AQ SHIELD overall by AQ Co., Ltd., not for the marine products MARINE / MARINEα. Photos are from AQ’s official site, used with permission.

Evidence at Sea

Evidence at sea: the Seto Inland Sea immersion test

Test panel from the Seto Inland Sea immersion test

Test product: AQ SHIELD MARINEα
Period: 27 March – 8 October 2025 (about 6.5 months)
Location: Otsushima Fishing Port, Tamashima, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan (Seto Inland Sea)
Checked: suppression of marine organism attachment and ease of removal

Propeller before and after coating and fouling removal

Patent

Japanese Patent No. 7936642 — “Marine Organism Antifouling Coating”

How it is believed to work: as seawater flows over the coating, the superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (5–20 nm) in the film are thought to generate minute electric currents and magnetic gradients that disturb the cell-membrane potential of fouling organisms and inhibit initial attachment. The patent gazette itself presents this mechanism as a presumption, with detailed proof left to future research; we present it the same way.

Recoatability is verified in the patent: in cross-cut adhesion tests (JIS K 5600-5-6) after recoating, the invention examples scored class 0 (no detachment), versus class 5 for silicone-based comparisons.

About the patent

The patent is held by Fect Co., Ltd. (Tsuyama, Okayama), the developer of the technology. AQ Co., Ltd. sells AQ SHIELD; earth Beauty ltd is an authorized distributor. Neither AQ nor earth Beauty is the patent holder.

See the patent in detail — Technical Notes →

The patent contemplates application to vessels, marine structures and coastal infrastructure; the products MARINE / MARINEα are for hull bottoms only. The detailed English technical notes are linked above.

Our Structure

The elder brother at AQ, and the younger brother who delivers.

The seller is AQ Co., Ltd., whose president is the elder brother; earth Beauty ltd, the authorized distributor, is represented by Fujio Ninomiya, the younger brother.

Seller

AQ Co., Ltd.

President: the elder brother

The seller of the liquid glass coating AQ SHIELD, holding the composite glass binder product family, with a record from construction and civil engineering to food; responsible for delivering the technology.

Authorized Distributor

earth Beauty ltd

Representative: Fujio Ninomiya (the younger brother)

Authorized distributor of AQ SHIELD antifouling hull coatings; founded 1998; dedicated to proposing, selling and supporting the marine field.

Technical information, accurate and fast

Brothers — no game of telephone.

The field’s voice reaches development

Feedback from marinas and owners goes straight to the development side.

Clear responsibility

Making and delivering are separate, so quality and support each have a face.

Dedicated to the marine field

A focused distributor for hull coatings, propellers and underwater parts.

Message

For tools of the sea, only honest ones.

From Fujio Ninomiya, Representative, earth Beauty ltd

Since 1998 earth Beauty has worked in beauty with things that touch people — natural henna, hydrogen after-care — holding that ingredients must never lie. Meeting AQ SHIELD (the company run by his elder brother as president) he found the same spirit: main component silica, the same as sand and crystal; nothing dissolved into the sea.

“Our marine track record is still ahead of us; we will not hide that. Judge us strictly on the test data and the record from other fields.”

Inquiries welcome even before purchase.

(A video greeting is in preparation.)

Shared Concept

One shared concept — the global environment.

In our beauty business: plants (henna), hydrogen powder and water. In our marine business: minerals (silica) and the sea. The materials differ, but earth Beauty’s axis is one: to make the most of natural materials, and to deliver products that leave no burden on the environment.

Products

Two products, matched to the vessel.

Both are one-component coatings, applied by roller or brush; the dedicated thinner is used when spraying (dilution) — spray application uses the dedicated thinner. Recoat repair possible. All prices exclude tax.

AQ SHIELD MARINEα Flagship

Built on glass-coating technology, combined with the patented magnetic technology (Japanese Patent No. 7936642) — our flagship, specialized for antifouling. A one-component antifouling coating containing no antifouling agents of the kind that cause marine pollution. With special functional nanoparticles, it suppresses attachment of barnacles and other marine organisms; anything that does attach is easy to remove, and maintenance by recoating is excellent. This is the product used in the Seto Inland Sea immersion test.

Zero antifouling agents, specialized for attachment suppression
Special functional nanoparticles
Film surface releases fouling easily
Ideal for hull bottoms, propellers and other underwater parts

MARINEα — Prices (excluding tax)

Size	Price (JPY, excl. tax)	Approx. USD	Coverage
1 kg	¥95,000	approx. $600	8㎡
4 kg	¥280,000	approx. $1,770	32㎡
15 kg	¥990,000	approx. $6,270	120㎡

Dedicated thinner

Size	Price (JPY, excl. tax)	Approx. USD
1 kg	¥8,300	approx. $53
4 kg	¥20,500	approx. $130
15 kg	¥64,200	approx. $410

AQ SHIELD MARINE

Antifouling and anti-corrosion coating for a wide range of substrates; after curing, contaminants wash off easily with water; recoatable; unlike α, gloss and color can be adjusted, so it also suits visible areas such as topsides and superstructures, not only hull bottoms.

Keeps antifouling and anti-corrosion performance over the long term
Gloss and color adjustable
FRP, metal, wood and other substrates
Recoatable, easy partial repair

MARINE — Prices (excluding tax)

Size	Price (JPY, excl. tax)	Approx. USD	Coverage
1 kg	¥80,000	approx. $510	10㎡
4 kg	¥200,000	approx. $1,270	40㎡
15 kg	¥700,000	approx. $4,430	150㎡

Dedicated thinner

Size	Price (JPY, excl. tax)	Approx. USD
1 kg	¥8,300	approx. $53
4 kg	¥20,500	approx. $130
15 kg	¥64,200	approx. $410

A static price list is shown here; the Japanese site offers an interactive cost estimator. USD figures are approximate conversions at USD 1 = JPY 158 (October 2026), shown for reference only; prices are billed in JPY.

How It Works

From inquiry to after-support

Inquiry & hearing

Vessel type, hull material, mooring area, current coating and recoating history.

Test application proposal

Check adhesion and finish on a small area first.

Quotation

Product cost and application estimate stated clearly, unclear costs explained up front.

Application & after-support

From surface preparation to application; post-application checks and recoat repairs via earth Beauty ltd.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does it differ from conventional antifouling?

The mechanism is fundamentally different: conventional systems are leaching — the film dissolves and releases antifouling agents. AQ SHIELD is a non-leaching glass-like barrier with no antifouling agents.

Does it really last 10+ years?

“10+ years without recoating” is a target published by AQ, not a guarantee. Durability varies with sea area, sailing frequency, mooring environment and application quality; it is presented as an indicator of the design philosophy difference.

Can barnacles still attach?

It suppresses attachment; depending on conditions some attachment can occur. The smooth film makes removal easier than conventional coatings, and recoat repair is possible after removal.

Does anything harmful flow into the sea?

The main component is inorganic silica, with no antifouling agents. The film does not dissolve, so there is no leaching of harmful substances. With no petroleum-derived synthetic resins, it produces no toxic gases when burned.

What substrates can it be used on?

FRP, metal, wood and more. Surface preparation may be needed depending on existing film condition; a test application is recommended.

Can I apply it myself (DIY)?

One coat, no primer by design, so the bar is low. But surface preparation decides finish and durability — consultation or applicator referral is available.

If it is scratched, must I redo everything?

No — it is recoatable, so scratches and local deterioration can be repaired locally. That is one reason long-term maintenance cost stays down.

Can it be used on propellers?

Yes, it is designed for propellers as well as hull bottoms. Suitability varies with material and shape — please consult us.

MARINE vs. MARINEα — what is the difference?

MARINE is the balanced antifouling and anti-corrosion coating, with gloss and color adjustable, suiting visible areas. MARINEα is the antifouling specialist with special functional nanoparticles, for underwater parts such as hull bottoms.

How do I estimate price?

Product cost depends on area — see the price tables above. Application cost is quoted separately depending on vessel condition.

Is the marine track record really still small?

Yes, honestly — the marine field is where we are building our record. The coating itself has adoption records in other fields — 250,000 pieces of restaurant tableware, embassy stone, station floors, tunnels and bridges — and we ran the approximately 6.5-month Seto Inland Sea immersion test.

Can I buy product only?

Yes — product and dedicated thinner can be purchased without application services. Application cautions are provided at purchase.

Company

Company profile

Company name	earth Beauty Co., Ltd. (earth Beauty ltd)
Representative	Fujio Ninomiya
Founded / Incorporated	Founded 2 February 1998 / Incorporated 20 April 2001
Capital	JPY 3,000,000
Head office	Makuhari, Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan
TOKYO LAB	Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
E-mail	office@earth-by.com
Role	Authorized distributor of AQ SHIELD antifouling hull coatings
Seller	AQ Co., Ltd. (liquid glass coating AQ SHIELD) — www.aqshield.com

Our other business — beauty

earth Beauty’s main business is planning, developing and selling beauty products — natural henna “EARTH HENNA” and hydrogen after-care “AFTER SUISO”. Beauty and marine share one axis — making the most of natural materials, leaving no burden on the environment. Official site: earth-by.com.

Contact

For inquiries about AQ SHIELD MARINE / MARINEα, test applications, quotations or product-only purchase, please contact us by e-mail:

office@earth-by.com