Studies on Antifouling Paints (I)

Antifouling Effects of Various Toxic Agents

Abstract

Cuprous oxide and yellow mercuric oxide have been used as main toxic agents for antifouling paints. However, they have some disadvantages. They corrode light metals, and cuprous oxide changes to black cuprous sulfide due to sulfides in city-fouled water and changes to cupric oxide by air-oxidation in the paint film along the water-line. Cuprous sulfide and cupric oxide thus formed do not have antifouling effect. In the present investigation, some new kinds of antifouling paints were prepared of various toxic agents and submitted to the sea-water immersion test for a period from May to September, when sea-organisms grow most livelily. As a result, organic toxic agents showed the selective antifouling effect to sea-organisms. It was also shown that zinc phosphide has the excellent antifouling effect. There is a possibility to make a new kind of excellent antifouling paint which is not influenced by sulfides or air oxidation, and not corrosive to light metals.