Marine anti-bio-fouling coating and a method of applying the coating

• US 20050152869A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AWWA Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gareth Weed
• Inventors: Weed, Gareth
• Granted Patent: US 7,842,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/78.90
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/12 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/068 achieved by multilayers B05D5/066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/54 No clear coat specified
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2231/12 Copper or copper alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 59/04 Preventing hull fouling anti-fouling paints C09D5/16
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 63/00 Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/1618 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2400/163 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2400/166 in the pretreated surface to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2463/00 Presence of epoxy resin
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 5/02 involving pretreatment of the surfaces to be joined

Abstract

A marine anti-bio-fouling coating 10, for application onto the surface of a marine article 12. The coating 10 comprises a self-levelling, self-curing epoxy resin primer adhesive 14, an adhesive modified epoxy resin binder adhesive 16 and granulated Copper Nickel alloy 18. When a coated marine article 12 is immersed in water a chemical reaction occurs between the water and the Copper Nickel alloy 18 which causes a film of a complex metal oxide 20 to form on the exterior surface of the layer of Copper Nickel alloy granules 18. The oxide film 20 forms an inhospitable environment to aquatic organisms and aquatic borers, thereby preventing bio-fouling occurring on the coated marine article. A method of applying the coating 10 to a marine article 12 is also provided.

Claims

1. A marine anti-bio-fouling coating comprising:

primer adhesive to be applied onto a surface to be coated;

binder adhesive to be applied over the primer adhesive; and

metallic material to be applied over the binder adhesive, the binder adhesive and the primer adhesive thereby fixing the metallic material to the surface to be coated,

the metallic material comprising one or more metals which oxidise when in contact with water,

such that, when the coated surface is immersed in water, a layer of metal oxide is formed on the exterior surface of the metallic material.

2. A coating as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic material comprises copper or a copper alloy.

3. A coating as claimed in claim 2, wherein the copper alloy comprises a copper nickel alloy comprising eighty-eight percent copper and ten percent nickel, the remaining two percent comprising Iron and Manganese.

4. A coating as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metallic material is granulated.

5. A coating as claimed in claim 4, wherein the granules have a size of up to 250 microns.

6. A coating as claimed in claim 4, wherein the granules are substantially spherical.

7. A coating as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primer adhesive is a self-curing and self-leveling adhesive.

8. A coating as claimed in claim 1, wherein the binder adhesive is a self-curing adhesive.

9. A coating as claimed in claim 8, wherein the binder adhesive is an adhesive modified epoxy resin.

10. A coating as claimed in claim 9, wherein the binder adhesive comprises a solvent free cyclo aliphatic/aliphatic amine cured bisphenol A type epoxy resin system containing free flowing dry amorphous materials.

11. A coating as claimed in claim 6, wherein the binder adhesive is provided as a layer having a thickness of not more than two-thirds the diameter of the granules of metallic material.

12. A method of applying a marine anti-bio-fouling coating as claimed in claim 1 to a surface to be coated, the method comprising:

applying a layer of primer adhesive onto the surface;

curing the primer adhesive;

applying a layer of binder adhesive over the layer of primer adhesive; and

applying a layer of metallic material over the layer of binder adhesive.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein where the metallic material is granulated metallic material, the granules are sprayed onto the layer of binder adhesive, using pressurised spraying apparatus.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the granules are sprayed onto the layer of binder adhesive in a spray having a fan or cone shaped granule distribution.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the granules are distributed substantially evenly across the binder adhesive.

16. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the primer adhesive is sprayed onto the surface or applied onto the surface using roller means.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the layer of binder adhesive comprises a thin film of binder adhesive, having a thickness of not more than two-thirds the diameter of the granules of metallic material.

18. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the method additionally comprises a cleaning stage, prior to the application of the primer adhesive, during which the surface to be coated is cleaned of any previously existing coating materials and/or contaminants, such as grease and oil.

22. A coating as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic material comprises a copper nickel alloy of eighty-eight percent copper and ten percent nickel, the remaining two percent comprising Iron and Manganese.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

24. A coating as claimed in claim 20, wherein the carrier membrane comprises a sheet or an elongate strip of a water impermeable material.

25. A coating as claimed in claim 20, wherein the first adhesive layer comprises a layer of a thermally curable adhesive, an optically curable adhesive, or a chemically curable adhesive.

26. A coating as claimed in claim 20, wherein the coating further comprises a second adhesive layer provided across the other side of the carrier membrane, for fixing the coating to a surface to be coated, and a removable backing layer provided across the second adhesive layer, the backing layer being removed to expose the second adhesive layer prior to the coating being applied to the surface to be coated.

27. A coating as claimed in claim 26, wherein the first and second adhesive layers comprise adhesives which are resistant to long term submersion in water.

21. A marine anti-bio-fouling coating comprising:

a carrier membrane;

a first adhesive layer provided across one surface of the carrier membrane; and

a layer of metallic material provided on top of the first adhesive layer, the adhesive thereby fixing the metallic material to the carrier membrane,

the metallic material comprising one or more metals which oxidise when in contact with water,

such that, when the coating is immersed in water, a layer of metal oxide is formed on the exterior surface of the layer of metallic material.

23. A coating as claimed in claim 21, in which the metallic material is granulated, the granules having a size of between 10 microns and 200 microns.

28. A method of manufacturing a marine anti-bio-fouling coating, the method comprising:

applying a first layer of adhesive to one side of a carrier membrane;

applying a layer of metallic material on top of the first adhesive layer; and

applying pressure onto the layer of metallic material to bond the metallic material to the first layer of adhesive and thus to the carrier membrane.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the metallic material is granulated and the granules are distributed across the first layer of adhesive.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein pressure is applied to the layer of granulated metallic material by passing the coating between a pair of rollers, the rollers applying pressure to the granules of metallic material and bonding them to the first layer of adhesive.

31. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the method comprises the further step of thermally, optically or chemically curing the first layer of adhesive, to further bond the layer of granulated metallic material to the adhesive.

32. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the method additionally comprises the steps of applying a second layer of adhesive to the other side of the carrier membrane, for fixing the coating to a surface to be coated, and applying a removable backing layer on top of the second adhesive layer, the backing layer to be removed to expose the second adhesive layer prior to the coating being applied to the surface to be coated.

33. Apparatus for manufacturing a marine anti-bio-fouling coating, the apparatus comprising:

adhesive application means operable to apply a first layer of adhesive to one side of a carrier membrane;

metallic material application means operable to distribute granulated metallic material across the first layer of adhesive; and

pressure application means operable to apply pressure onto the layer of granulated metallic material, to thereby press the granules into the first layer of adhesive.

34. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the metallic material application means comprises a storage hopper for storing granulated metallic material and a distribution head for distributing granulated material onto the first layer of adhesive.

35. Apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the distribution head comprises a sieve through which the granulated metallic material is sprinkled onto the first layer of adhesive.

36. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the pressure application means comprises a pair of rollers, the surface of each roller being coated with a non-stick material.

37. Apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein the pressure application means further comprises pressure adjustment means operable to adjust the amount of pressure applied by the rollers.

38. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the apparatus further comprises adhesive curing means operable to cure the first layer of adhesive.

39. Apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein the adhesive curing comprises an oven operable to heat the adhesive, to thereby thermally cure the adhesive, an optical source operable to generate an optical signal exposure of the adhesive to the optical signal causing polymerisation of the adhesive, or a curing chamber in which the coating is exposed to one or more catalytic chemicals.

40. (canceled)