SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MARINE ANTI-FOULING

• US 20120321809A1
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: Tustin, Gary John, Westwood, James Francis, Hartshorne, Robert Seth, Gahlings, Steven Antony
• Application Number:
  US13/160,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20120321809A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/427.6
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/1662 Synthetic film-forming substance

Abstract

An anti-biofouling material for use on marine equipment is described, the anti-biofouling material comprising a polymer system comprising a hydrophobically-modified base polymer, the hydrophobically-modified base polymer comprising a base polymer having a backbone and a hydrophobically derivatized chain extender coupled to said backbone of said base polymer, wherein the hydrophobically derivatized chain extender comprises a hydrophobic moiety. The anti-fouling casing comprises a hydrophobic surface that serves to prevent biofouling of the surface.

Claims

1. An anti-biofouling material for use on marine equipment, comprising:

a polymer system comprising a hydrophobically-modified base polymer, wherein the hydrophobically-modified base polymer comprises a base polymer having a backbone and a hydrophobically derivatized chain extender coupled to said backbone of said base polymer.

2. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobically derivatized chain extender comprises a hydrophobic moiety.

3. The anti-biofouling material of claim 2, wherein the hydrophobic moiety comprises at least one of a fluorine derivative, a silicon derivative and a polyethylene glycol derivative.

4. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, wherein the base polymer comprises one of polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, urethane, polyvinylchloride and polyethylene.

5. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, wherein the polymer system comprises an (AB)_n type block copolymer, and wherein the (AB)_n type block copolymer comprises a soft polyol segment and a hard segment comprising the hydrophobically-modified base polymer.

6. The anti-biofouling material of claim 5, wherein the (AB)_n type block copolymer has a two-phase microstructure.

7. The anti-biofouling material of claim 5, wherein the soft polyol segment comprises a dihydroxy terminated long chain macroglycol.

8. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, further comprising a biocide.

9. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, further comprising a hydrophobic polymer filler.

10. The anti-biofouling material of claim 9, wherein the hydrophobic polymer filler comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene, polydimethylsiloxane and polyethylene, polyisobutylene and polystyrene.

11. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobically-modified base polymer is produced by reacting a pre-polymer with the hydrophobically derivatized chain extender.

12. The anti-biofouling material of claim 11, wherein:

the pre-polymer comprises one of polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, urethane, polyvinylchloride and polyethylene.

13. The anti-biofouling material of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobically-modified base polymer is produced by a method comprising:

substituting a portion of an initial polyol with a hydrophobically-modified variant or derivative to produce a hydrophobically modified prepolymer; and

reacting the hydrophobically modified prepolymer with a chain extender to produce the hydrophobically-modified base polymer.

14. The anti-biofouling material of claim 9, wherein the hydrophobic polymer filler is homogeneously dispersed throughout the anti-biofouling material.

15. A method of applying the anti-biofouling material according to claim 1 to marine equipment, comprising:

extruding the anti-biofouling casing as a tube; and

inserting the marine equipment into the extruded tube of the anti-biofouling material.

18. A method of applying the anti-biofouling material according to claim 1 to marine equipment, comprising:

extruding the anti-biofouling material onto an outer-surface of the marine equipment.

19. A method of applying the anti-biofouling material according to claim 1 to marine equipment, comprising:

heat sealing the anti-biofouling material with an outer-surface of the marine equipment.

20. A method of applying the anti-biofouling material according to claim 1 to marine equipment, comprising:

wrapping the anti-biofouling material around an outer-surface of the marine equipment.

21. A method of applying the anti-biofouling material according to claim 1 to marine equipment, comprising:

dipping at least a portion of the marine equipment into a molten vat of the anti-biofouling material.

22. A method of applying the anti-biofouling material according to claim 1 to marine equipment, comprising:

mixing the anti-fouling material with a solvent; and

spraying the solvent mixture onto the marine equipment.

16. The method of claim 17, wherein the marine equipment comprises a cable.

23. A material for applying to marine equipment to prevent biofouling of said equipment, comprising:

a hydrophobically-modified base polymer.

24. The material of claim 23, wherein the hydrophobically-modified base polymer comprises a thermo-polyurethane.

25. The material of claim 23, wherein the hydrophobically-modified base polymer comprises a thermo-polyurethane backbone coupled to chain extenders.

26. The material of claim 25, wherein the chain extender is selected from a group consisting of a fluorine derivatised chain extender, a silicone derivatised chain extender and a glycol derivatised chain extender.

27. The material of claim 23, wherein the hydrophobically-modified base polymer comprises a polyol in which a portion of the polyol is substituted for a hydrophobically-modified variant to generate a hydrophobically modified prepolymer and the prepolymer is coupled with a chain extender.