INCREASINGLY STRINGENT INDUSTRIAL SAFETY STANDARDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS ARE RESTRICTING THE USE OF ORGANOMETALLIC BASED PAINT WITH THE RESULT THAT THE NAVY NOW HAS POORER QUALITY ANTIFOULING PAINT PERFORMANCE THAN IT HAD PRIOR TO RECENT

INCREASINGLY STRINGENT INDUSTRIAL SAFETY STANDARDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS ARE RESTRICTING THE USE OF ORGANOMETALLIC BASED PAINT WITH THE RESULT THAT THE NAVY NOW HAS POORER QUALITY ANTIFOULING PAINT PERFORMANCE THAN IT HAD PRIOR TO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS. THIS PROPOSAL INVOLVES EXPLORING AN ENTIRELY NEW APPROACH TO ANTIFOULING PAINTS WHICH MAY PRODUCE ANTIFOULING SURFACES WITHOUT THE USE OF EXTREMELY TOXIC COMPOUNDS. THE PROPOSED APPROACH IS TO DEVELOP AN ANTIFOULING REDOX COATING CONSISTING OF MIXTURES OF CATALYSTS WHICH READILY CATALYZE THE REDUCTION OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND THE PARTIAL OXIDATION OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER. IT IS HOPED THAT THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE PRODUCED BY OXYGEN REDUCTION WILL PROVIDE A SURFACE TOXIC TO MARINE ORGANISMS. THE PROPOSAL CONCENTRATES ON EXPERIMENTALLY STUDYING ONE KEY ISSUE: CAN ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE SURFACES BE CREATED THAT CONTINUOUSLY CATALYZE REDOX REACTIONS IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT.