IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE SUBMERGED STRUCTURES, to bes
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I FARNHAM MAXWELL LYTE of Cotford Oakhill Road, Putney in the County
of Surrey Analytical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
SUBMERGED STRUCTURES, to be as follows:-
OF ANTI-FOULING PAINTS FOR
My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of anti-fouling paints
for submerged structures especially suitable for use in connection with the invention
for which former Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date 14th November
1883 (N° 5375) and that for which I made application for Provisional Protection on
the 18th February 1884 (N° 3536).
In the specification of my former Letters Patent I have described a method of
protecting submerged structures of iron and steel from corrosion and fouling by the
application of two successive and differently constituted coats of paint of which
the first coat is sufficiently electro-positive to iron and steel not to be reduced by
the galvanic action which is set up when the structure is immersed, and of which
the last coat possesses poisonous qualities, and my present Invention relates to the
manufacture of anti-fouling paints designed in the case of iron and steel structures
for use in connection with any suitable inert electro-positive or nonconducting first
coat but also adapted to serve as anti-fouling paints for wooden structures with
or without a first coat or priming.
According to my present Invention the anti-fouling paint has for its basis any of
the usual compounds and contains in addition a quantity (sufficient to be poisonous
to weeds, barnacles &c) of a mixture or insoluble compound of salts of the two
metals mercury and copper, or of the substance mentioned by Wöhler hereafter
referred to.
A mixture of two parts of the basic acetate of copper (commonly called verdigris)
and three of any of the oxychlorides of mercury (say the tri-basic oxychloride
Hg Cl, 3 Hg O) and a sufficiency of red or white lead, or a mixture of the two,
or in fact any other suitable diluent pounded with the other ingredients and well
mixed and made up into a paint with drying oil or varnish, will, for instance,
make an excellent anti-fouling paint, although I do not limit myself to the
proportions given.
The substance mentioned by Wöhler which is also a combination of copper and
mercury ((C, H, 0))} O, Hg C₁₂, is dried and pounded and made into a paint with
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drying oil or any convenient vehicle and red lead, or a mixture of white lead and
10 or 12 per cent of lead peroxide, makes a very good paint.
An excellent compound for instance of this nature may be made as follows:-
500 lbs of mercuric chloride are dissolved in 1500 gallons of boiling water and to
this is added 250 lbs of best blue verdigris in fine powder and lastly 35 lbs of

page_text: freshly burnt and freshly slaked best fatty lime; stir frequently till cold and
separate the insoluble precipitate which is the compound in question by filtration.
Either of the above paints should be applied in the case of iron and steel
structures upon a first protective covering of one or two coats of magnesia paint or
some electro-positive inert or nonconducting paint as already mentioned.
With reference to the above first mentioned mixture of cupric and mercuric
salts, it may here be observed that all such mixtures are of special use as
anti-fouling paints and although I have only given this as an example I intend to
claim all the insoluble, compounds or mixtures of these two metals produced by
adding to the chloride, or one of the oxychlorides of mercury, one of the basic salts
of copper such combinations being expecially valuable for this purpose and superior
to a salt of either metal by itself as well as being cheaper than any mercuric salt
alone. The basic acetate of copper of the above mixtures or compounds may be
replaced by copper oxide Cu O, copper hydroxide Cu (HO), or one of the basic
sulphates, basic nitrates or basic carbonates of copper or the basic or oxychloride of
copper.
These two metals mercury and copper belong to the same chemical group (the
copper group) and their salts have many properties in common. Among other
points of resemblance they have a special tendency to form basic or oxy-salts and
they are both eminently destructive to plant and animal life of the lower orders.
They are both strongly electro-negative to iron and must be isolated from contact
with that metal which would otherwise rapidly and completely reduce their salts
and by setting up with them a galvanic action, the electro-positive metal (the iron)
would at same time be corroded and dissolved while this same contact of the
electro-positive metal would also neutralise and suspend the plant and animal
destroying effects of the mercury and copper salts.
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COMPLEIE
I FARNHAM MAXWELL LYTE of Cotford Oakhill Road, Putney, in the County
of Surrey, Analytical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ANTI-FOULING PAINTS FOR 35
SUBMERGED STRUCTURES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
My Invention relates to the manufacture of anti-fouling paints for submerged
structures, especially suitable for use in connection with the Inventions for which
former Letters Patent were granted to me respectively bearing date the 40
14th November 1883 N° 5375, and the 18th February 1884 N° 3536.

page_text: In the specifications of my former Letters Patent I have described a method of
protecting submerged structures of iron and steel from corrosion and fouling by
the application of two successive, and differently constituted coats of paint, of which
the first coat is either sufficiently electro-positive to iron and steel not to be
reduced by the galvanic action which is set up when the structure is immersed, or
is quite inert or nonconducting, while the second coat possesses poisonous qualities;
and my present Invention relates to the manufacture of anti-fouling paints
designed, in the case of iron and steel structures, for use in connection with any
suitable electro-positive, inert, or non-conducting first coat, but also adapted to
serve as anti-fouling paints for wooden structures with or without a first coat or
priming.
According to my present Invention, the anti-fouling paint has for its basis any
of the usual compounds, and contains, in addition thereto, a quantity (sufficient to
be poisonous to weeds, barnacles, &c) of a mixture or insoluble compound of the
salts of the two metals mercury and copper, or of the substance mentioned by
Wöhler hereafter referred to.
A mixture of two parts of the basic acetate of copper (commonly called verdigris)
and three of any of the oxychlorides of mercury (say the tri-basic oxychloride
Hg Cl, 3 Hg O) and a sufficient amount of red or white lead, or a mixture of the
two, or a mixture of white lead and 10 or 12 per cent of lead peroxide, or in fact
any other suitable diluent or body material pounded with the other ingredients
and well mixed and made up into a paint with drying oil or varnish, will, for
instance, make an excellent anti-fouling paint, although I do not limit myself to
these proportions.
The substance mentioned by Wöhler is also a combination of copper and mercury
(i.e. the basic acetate and the chloride) { (C, H, 0} 0, Hg Cl, and this substance
Сия
is dried and pounded and made up into a paint with drying oil or any convenient
vehicle and red or white lead, or a mixture of red and white lead, or a mixture of
white lead and 10 or 12 per cent of lead peroxide and makes a very good paint.
An excellent compound for instance of this nature, suitable for the production of
an anti-fouling paint, may be made as follows:-Dissolve 500 lbs of mercuric
chloride in 1500 gallons of boiling water and to this add 250 lbs of best blue
verdigris in fine powder; stir frequently till cold and separate the insoluble
precipitate, which is the compound in question, by filtration.
Either of the above paints should be applied, in the case of iron and steel
structures, upon a first protective covering of one or two coats of magnesia paint
or of some electro-positive, inert, or non-conducting paint as already mentioned.
As the amount of the poisonous ingredient necessary to produce a good anti-fouling
paint, is liable to variation, according to the waters in which the vessel is to sail,
and to other circumstances, no definite proportion of the poisonous to the other
ingredients of the paint can be given, but 10 per cent of the poisonous or insoluble
compound or mixture to 90 per cent of the other ingredients may be taken as an
average proportion, although I in no way limit myself in this respect.
With reference to the above first mentioned mixture of cupric and mercuric salts,
it may here be observed that all such mixtures are of especial use as anti-fouling
paints, and although I have only given this as an example, my Invention includes
all the insoluble compounds or mixtures of these two metals produced by adding
together the chloride (or one of the oxychlorides) of mercury, and one of the salts
or basic salts of copper, such combinations being especially valuable for this
purpose and superior to a salt of either metal by itself, as well as being cheaper
than any mercuric salt alone.
The basic acetate of copper of the above mixtures or compounds may be replaced
by copper oxide Cu O, copper hydroxide Cu (HO), or one of the basic sulphates,
basic nitrates, or basic carbonates of copper, or the basic (i.e. oxy) chloride of
canner

page_text: These two metals mercury and copper belong to the same chemical group (the
copper group) and their salts have many properties in common. Among other
points of resemblance they have a special tendency to form basic or oxy-salts, and
they are both eminently destructive to plant and animal life of the lower orders.
They are both strongly electro-negative to iron and must be isolated from contact
with that metal which would otherwise rapidly and completely reduce their salts,
and, by setting up with them a galvanic action, the electro-positive metal (the iron)
would at same time be corroded and dissolved, while this same contact of the
electro-positive metal would also neutralise and suspend the plant and animal
destroying effects of the mercury and copper salts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
'
1st The manufacture of anti-fouling paints for submerged structures of a mixture
or insoluble compound of one of the basic cupric salts and one of the mercuric salts,
or one of the basic mercuric salts and one of the cupric salts, together with a
suitable diluent or body material such as red lead or white lead, and a suitable
vehicle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd The manufacture of anti-fouling paints for submerged structures, of a
compound of basic mercuric salts and copper oxide or copper bydroxide together
with a suitable diluent or body material such as red lead or white lead and a
suitable vehicle, substantially as specified.
3rd The employment in the manufacture of an anti-fouling paint for submerged
structures, of the compound discovered by Wöbler and in which is combined the
basic cupric acetate with mercuric chloride { (C, H, 0), (0, Hg Cl, substantially
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