A method of forming an antifouling coating film on the surface of a ship using an antifouling coating composition containing a copolymer and an antifouling agent.

摘要

The present invention provides a composition for forming an antifouling coating film which has high environmental safety, and which is able to maintain coating film dissolution for a long period of time even after being exposed to sunlight for a long period of time, thereby being capable of exhibiting good antifouling performance even at the water line part to which aquatic fouling organisms are likely to adhere. The present invention provides an antifouling coating composition which contains a copolymer A, a copolymer B and an antifouling agent, and which is configured such that: the copolymers A and B are obtained by respectively copolymerizing a mixture of a monomer (a) and a polymerizable unsaturated monomer (b) other than the monomer (a); the monomer (a) is represented by formula (1) (wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and R2, R3 and R4 are selected from among a phenyl group and branched alkyl groups having 3-8 carbon atoms, and may be same as or different from each other); the copolymer A satisfies the requirements (A1) and (A2) described below; the copolymer B satisfies the requirements (B1) and (B2) described below; and the content of the copolymer A relative to the total mass of the copolymer A and the copolymer B is 5-45% by mass. (A1) The content of a compound, in which R1 is a hydrogen atom, in the monomer (a) relative to the total mass of the monomer (a) and the monomer (b) is 30-80% by mass. (A2) The content of 2-methoxyethyl acrylate in the monomer (b) relative to the total mass of the monomer (a) and the monomer (b) is 5-30% by mass. (B1) The content of a compound, in which R1 is a methyl group, in the monomer (a) relative to the total mass of the monomer (a) and the monomer (b) is 30-80% by mass. (B2) The content of 2-methoxyethyl methacrylate in the monomer (b) relative to the total mass of the monomer (a) and the monomer (b) is 15-50% by mass.