Antifouling Coatings in Submarine Structures

It's well known that metals are used in underwater structures (i.e. the hulls of ships or different types of boats, offshore marine platforms, the probes of tools for the detection of oceanographic data) are subject to quick deterioration due both to chemical reaction of the inorganic salts contained in sea water and to biochemical action caused by settlement of marine organisms (vegetal organism and animals). The present paper describes the most common protection systems, developed for centuries, through the use of based copper anti-fouling paint. This element, thanks to its toxicity, inhibits the settlement of larvae of more macro- scopic organisms considered the most responsible for the functional deterioration of the structure used in the marine field.