| abstract |
The invention relates to a sea water-erodible antifouling paint composition for protecting marine surfaces. The paint composition comprises a binder system, a pigment which may be sea water soluble, and an antifouling agent. The binder system comprises an erodibility-conferring polymer, said polymer comprising polyether, polyamide, polyester, polyamine, polythioether, polyurethane, epoxy resin, polythioester, polycarbonate, polyazomethine, and/or polyurea segments, e.g., polyoxyalkylenediamine (polyetherdiamine) segments. As an alternative, the polymer chain may comprise trivalent segments whereby a branched polymer is obtained. The individual segments may be linked together in the polymer chain as a statistical, an alternating or a block copolymer, or any combination thereof. The paint composition may be applied to, e.g., a ship's hull in one or several layers, whereby a coating which is susceptible to erosion or polishing is obtained. |