Polymeric pesticides for control of marine fouling and deterioration

Research at the David Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center has led to the development and evaluation of a series of new polymeric pesticides capable of providing long life to such end item materials as ship bottom coatings, antifouling GRP composites, and preservatives for wood docks and pilings. These resins, known generically as Organometallic Polymers (OMPs), function in a manner which chemically controls the release, and therefore the retention, of pesticide in the end item product. As a result, long-lived products are achieved due to conservation of the pesticide, along with minimum environmental impact. Basic chemistry, mode of action, engineering properties of the resins, manufacturing scale-up processes along with performance data from ship and field trials of prototype end item products are discussed.