a large spatula. In almost every case, the upper section of these barnacles 

 would part from the baseplate, which remained securely attached to the 

 panels. The majority of the barnacles attached to the TFE films could be 

 pried off by applying a steady pressure with one's fingers. Normally, the 

 barnacle's whole shell, including the baseplate, could be dislodged. 



Plastic Films 



TFE. In general, TFE films performed very well in protecting the 

 panels from fouling and corrosion (Figures 6 through 9). The TFE film 

 covered with marine growths, including barnacles and mussels, could be 

 stripped off the 6 x 12-inch panels without difficulty. The entire stripping 

 process took 3 to 5 minutes per panel. Underneath this plastic film, there 

 was a surface as clean as if the panel had never been exposed in the sea. On 

 the other hand, the control panels were heavily corroded and some of them 

 were covered with heavy biological growth which required considerable time 

 and effort to remove. The glass-fiber TFE film was slightly stronger and 

 tougher than the skived TFE film. 



Figure 6. Unpainted carbon steel panels after biological growth and plastic 

 covering had been removed. Panel 1 is a control panel. Panels 2 

 and 3, protected by TFE films, show a large noncorroded area 

 of white metal. 



11 



