Antifouling tile containing antifoulant reservoirs for in situ replenishment

Claim 1

A modular antifouling tile system for precluding the attachment of fouling organisms to articles for use in seawater comprising: antifouling tile modules having a plurality of reservoirs for containing antifoulant and the material forming the body portion constructed of elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, neoprene (polychloroprene), natural rubber, polybutylenes, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polysulfide rubbers, polyurethanes, vinyls, polyacrylonitriles, polyisobutylene, and copolymer blends thereof blended with a resin material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chlorides, polystyrene, chlorinated natural rubber, polypropylene, and polyethylene forming the elastomeric body portion of the overall matrix, said elastomeric material of the matrix having a glass transition temperature of below 65° F. and the resin material of the matrix having a glass transition temperature above 75° F., with the proviso that the reservoirs may be cellular, in which they are isolated from each other, or interconnected, in which passages extend between each reservoir, an antifoulant located in each reservoir selected from the group consisting of 2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophtalonitrile, tributyltin fluoride, tripropyltin oxide, and tripropytin fluoride, an insitu antifoulant indicia and replenishment means located on the surface as a protrusion or groove if interconnected for determining the depleted condition of the module and replenishment thereof, attachment means for securing the antifouling tile modules to the article for use in seawater, and wherein the antifoulant is blended with a chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon plasticizer in weight proportions ranging from about 1:1 to about 20:1 parts of plasticizer to parts of antifoulant.