Fluorinated Ship-Hull Coatings for Non-Polluting Fouling Control

摘要

Protection of ship-hulls from marine fouling organisms is essential for efficient fleet operation and energy conservation. Historically, to achieve this protection, ship hulls have been coated with materials that contain toxic materials such as tar and pitch, arsenic, inorganic heavy-metal compounds, and metallo-organics including organo-arsenic, organo-mercury, and organotin compounds. The present Navy standard uses copper-based paints for this purpose resulting in the potential for an environmental hazard due to continuous release of copper as the active antifouling agent. A cruiser-size ship (25,000 ft (exp ) hull area) releases approximately two pounds of copper per day that potentially brings approximately five million gallons of sea water to toxic copper concentrations. Dozens of ships painted with conventional toxic antifouling paints can make a significant environmental impact in an enclosed harbor.