Because much Navy equipment 

 (including hydrophones) must be sub- 

 merged in the sea for long periods, the 

 protection of materials from corrosion 

 and fouling has grown increasingly criti- 

 cal. The tower offers a favorable site 

 for studies in these fields. 



Samples of materials have been 

 placed underwater on the tower and 

 inspected periodically by divers. This 

 work has been supplemented by research 

 on materials suspended in the bay and on 

 racks in a salt-air environment. 



Syntactic foam spheres were tested at the tower as 



instrumentation floats. Alternate floats were coated 



with a silicone coating (RTV 60) which reduced the 

 marine growth. 



Booms and above-water metal structures were test- 

 coated with a polyurethane (Laminar X500) which 

 resists corrosion from salt air for a 5-year period. 



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