Underwater wax formulation and method

• US 4,293,339 A
• Filed: 02/28/1980
• Issued: 10/06/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Supcoe, Robert F., Radakovich, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Lorenzo B.
• Application Number:
  US06/125,733
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 106/270, 106/271, 106/18.29, 106/18.35, 427/429
• US Class Current: 106/18.29
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 191/08 Mineral waxes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/1656 characterised by the film-forming substance C09D5/1637 takes precedence

Abstract

A wax coating composition capable of underwater application to submerged faces comprises a mixture of from about 2% to about 18% of a polymer having the recurring unit-C₂ F₃ Cl -; from about 20% to about 40% of a microcrystalline wax; from about 40% to about 70% of a chlorinated paraffinic hydrocarbon and up to about 5% of a surfactant. An appropriate biocide may be interspersed into the wax to prevent marine growth.

Another wax coating composition comprises a mixture of from about 16% to about 27% of a paraffin wax; from about 22% to about 33% of a microcrystalline wax; and from about 36% to about 58% of a chlorinated paraffinic hydrocarbon. A biocide such as the organotins or cuprous oxide antifoulants may comprise from about 2% to about 10% of the wax mixture.

Claims

1. A wax coating material for application to submerged surfaces consisting essentially of a mixture, by weight percent, of from about 2% to about 18% of a fluorinatedchlorinated aliphatic polymer having a recurring unit of --C₂ F₃ Cl-- and an average molecular weight range of between about 500 to about 1200;

from about 20% to about 40% of a microcrystalline wax;

from about 40% to about 70% of a chlorinated paraffinic hydrocarbon having a chlorine content, by weight percent, of from about 40% to about 70% and

up to about 5% of a surfactant for improving the displacement of the water molecules from the surface.

2. The wax material according to claim 1, further comprising a biocide for preventing marine growth comprising, by weight percent, from about 1% to about 10% of the wax mixture.

3. The wax material of claim 1, wherein said mixture has a viscosity of 100°

C. of 6.7 to 7.4 cps;

a melting point of about 41°

C. to about 52°

C. and a density of about 0.734 g/cm³ to about 0.885 g/cm³.

4. A method of coating submerged surfaces for preventing marine growth comprises applying a wax mixture directly to the submerged surfaces, said wax mixture having a formulation substantially as follows:

from about 2% to about 18% of a fluorinated-chlorinated aliphatic polymer having a recurring structural unit --C₂ F₃ Cl-- and an average molecular weight range of between about 500 to about 1200;

from about 20% to about 40% of a microcrystalline wax;

from about 40% to about 70% of a chlorinated paraffinic hydrocarbon having a chlorine content, by weight percent, of from about 40% to about 70%; and

up to about 5% of a surfactant for improving the displacement of the molecules from the surface.