Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Kiichi Yamamoto

Tsutomu Mitsui

Toshio Yoshioka

Tatsumi Hayakawa

An antifouling structure in contact with seawater or at least its surface layer is made up of a beryllium copper alloy having a beryllium content lying in the range of 0.2% by weight to 2.8% by weight. While this antifouling structure is immersed in seawater, a beryllium or copper oxide film is formed on the surface layer of the beryllium copper alloy mother material and beryllium or copper ions are liberated from the exposed surface layer of the beryllium copper alloy mother material into seawater. As years go by, the beryllium or copper oxide film peels away from the beryllium copper alloy mother material. Due to indeterminate repetition of such peeling, the liberation of beryllium or copper ions from the exposed surface layer of the beryllium copper alloy mother material into seawater is sustained.

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Aichi, Japan

Kiichi Yamamoto