Industrial Market Research Report: Feasibility of commercialization of the advanced antifouling coating of Copperlok, Inc

摘要

The Copperlok antifouling process was designed to prevent marine growth on surfaces exposed to sea water. It is a method of bonding thermally sprayed Cu and Cu alloys onto an epoxy material containing microballoons (hollow spheres). After the epoxy cures, the surface is abraded so that the microballoons are fractured, exposing microscopic concave porosity. The sprayed material is directed to the surface, where it impregnates the pores, bridges and then welds across the surface, creating a very thin laminate of the metal materials security bonded to the bond coat and to the substrate. The Copperlok process laminates an approximate layer of Cu-Ni alloy 8 mils thick with an expected active life of 15--20 y. This report addresses the perceived acceptability of the process in several different marketplaces with the hope of directing the invention to the most receptive consumer group. The opinion surveys of the recreational marine industry were limited to the three coastal areas of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific.