Article having antifouling properties for aquatic and particularly sea use

A curable polyorganosiloxane composition R for forming a tie coat adhesion-promoting coating or a topcoat antifouling coating of a paint intended for protecting an article against the adhesion of aquatic organisms, wherein said curable polyorganosiloxane composition R contains no tin, and which comprises, firstly, a silicone base B capable of curing by means of a polycondensation reaction so as to give a silicone elastomer and, secondly, a catalytically effective amount of at least one polycondensation catalyst A which is a metal complex or salt of formula (I):

• [Fe(L1)l1(L2)l2] (I)
• in which:
• l1≧1, l2≧0 and l1+l2=3;
• the symbol L1 represents a β-dicarbonylated ligand chosen from the group consisting of a β-dicarbonylato anion or the enolate anion of a β-dicarbonylated compound, and an acetylacetato anion derived from a β-keto ester, with the additional condition that, when l1≧2, the symbols L1 are identical or different;
• with the additional condition that, when l1=3, then the symbol L1 is not acetylacetonate (acac), and
• the symbol L2 represents an anionic ligand other than L1 and, when l2=2 the symbols L2 are identical or different.

A method for applying an antifouling coating to a support intended to be employed in aquatic uses said method comprising

• a) optionally, the application of at least one primer coat to said support comprising at least one anticorrosive product,
• b) optionally, the application of at least one intermediate primer coat promoting adhesion between the coats and curing of said primer coat,
• c) the application of an adhesion-promoting coat or tie coat to said primer coat or to said support when the primer coat is absent,
• d) the curing of said tie coat,
• e) the application of an antifouling coat or topcoat, and
• f) the curing of said antifouling coat,
• wherein the antifouling coat and/or the tie coat is/are prepared from a curable polyorganosiloxane composition R contains no tin, and which comprises, firstly, a silicone base B capable of curing by means of a polycondensation reaction so as to give a silicone elastomer and, secondly, a catalytically effective amount of at least one polycondensation catalyst A which is a metal complex or salt of formula (I):
• [Fe(L1)l1(L2)l2] (I)
• in which:
• l1≧1, l2≧0 and l1+l2=3;
• the symbol L1 represents a β-dicarbonylated ligand chosen from the group consisting of a β-dicarbonylato anion or the enolate anion of a β-dicarbonylated compound, and an acetylacetato anion derived from a β-keto ester, with the additional condition that, when l1≧2, the symbols L1 are identical or different;
• with the additional condition that, when l1=3, then the symbol L1 is not acetylacetonate (acac), and
• the symbol L2 represents an anionic ligand other than L1 and, when l2=2, the symbols L2 are identical or different.