Composite Material Use in Marine Vessels

Composite Materials in Marine Vessels With a developing world and increased production, demand for lightweight and durable materials has grown over the years. Composite materials that meet these properties are now used in many sectors; defense, aviation, space, marine, construction, etc. Looking at the history of composite material use in maritime applications, it is evident that these materials began to be used in marine vessels after World War II. Increasing demand for properties such as corrosion resistance and high durability drove the adoption of composites. Today, thanks to technological advances in the composite sector, the use of composites in the marine industry is steadily increasing. With technological developments, composite materials capable of withstanding heavy loads can now be produced. When marine vessels were first manufactured, applications were made with wood, steel and aluminum materials. However, neither of these materials exhibits corrosion resistance. Over time, these materials were observed to be neither long-lasting nor durable, and manufacturers began searching for new materials. Composite material emerged as an option, and its lightweight nature, high corrosion resistance and chemical resistance prompted manufacturers to adopt composite materials. Composites are used in many areas of marine vessels. To list these areas: propellers, bearings, hulls, exhaust systems, random laminates, sonar domes, railings, covers and upper structure components all utilize composite materials. Recently, composite materials have been used in the manufacturing of sea taxis that have been put into service in Istanbul. Composite materials offer many advantages in marine vessels.

Advantages of Using Composite Materials in Marine Vessels

The salt and abrasive properties found in seawater cause significant damage to marine vessels over the years. For this reason, composites' resistance to corrosion and maintenance requirements are important components. Among composites that meet these properties, thermoset composites are among the most commonly used composites in marine vessels. The main matrix of these composites is formed by thermosetting polymers. Thermoset composites offer a series of advantages for marine vessels. Thermoset composites protect against the salt and abrasive properties of seawater, increase the resistance capability of marine vessels and reduce maintenance requirements. Thermoset composites also provide tensile strength for lightness and durability and exhibit high corrosion resistance. Because of this, marine vessels using thermoset composites can be used without deterioration for extended periods. Thermoset composites, which also offer lighter weight, reduce operating costs and increase efficiency. Thermoset composites reduce noise remarkably, providing a quieter environment, and design flexibility offers easier working conditions. Another advantage of composite materials is that by using appropriate materials, composite materials with superior electrical properties can be obtained. Another reason for the use of composites in maritime applications is the waste pollution created in the seas and the harmful effects of this waste on marine vessels. The increasingly growing marine traffic, along with maritime transportation, is gradually increasing pollution levels in the seas. Apart from marine traffic, factory waste discharge into the seas has been counted as one of the reasons for increasing pollution in recent years. At this point, composite materials exhibit high resistance to these wastes and chemicals, and thus less wear is observed in marine vessels produced with composite materials. Racing boats rank first among marine vessels where composite materials are most commonly used. The reason for more frequent use in racing boats is that composite materials provide maximum stiffness with minimum weight. Looking at the most commonly used material compositions in marine vessels, we encounter glass fiber with polyester, carbon fiber with epoxy and aramid fiber with epoxy compositions. The most commonly used today is Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester (GRP). GRP is the first modern polymer-based composite material.

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic

These composites have properties that metals do not possess and are less costly than most equivalents. For this reason, they are preferred by manufacturers who want to save while having superior properties. Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic is a composite material obtained by combining glass fiber with a load-bearing polymer. In this composite material, the tensile strength of glass fiber is combined with the compressive strength of plastic material. Thus, composite materials with both high compressive and high tensile strength are obtained. The use of GRP in marine vessels dates back to the 1940s, the time of World War II. During that period, those who wanted to build more durable boats began searching for new materials and researched GRP material. With the determination of the advantages that GRP could offer, this material began to be used in marine vessels. In 1965, Colombia Shipyard built the Columbia 50, which was the largest sailing vessel made using GRP at that time. This sailing vessel impressed with its superior performance and durability in the races it participated in. [3] With developing technology over the years, more superior and flawless composite materials have been developed, and the use of GRP in maritime applications has increased. Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics offer many advantages in marine vessels. Some of these advantages can be listed as follows: • Lightweight, • High tensile strength, • High compressive strength, • High chemical resistance and corrosion resistance, • Unlimited design and molding flexibility, • Easy repairability, • Low equipment costs, • Superior elasticity, • Colorability, • Superior dimensional stability. Composite materials are frequently used in the marine sector primarily because of the properties they offer, which extend the life of boats and are less costly compared to other materials. According to current research, GRP captures a significant percentage of the global boat market. GRP can be manufactured in many different ways in maritime applications. These are: hand lay-up, fiber spraying method and vacuum method. The most important part in boat manufacturing is the molds. The molds used in boat construction must be made with great precision and accuracy. Hand lay-up is the most commonly used method among manufacturing methods. The main reason hand lay-up is used more than other methods is that it can be done with low technology and does not require special skills. When manufacturing with the hand lay-up method, the important point is maintaining the mold, material and workshop at a certain temperature and humidity level. Today, the vast majority of boats produced are manufactured using GRP. One of the biggest reasons for this is actually that it is more suitable for mass production rather than offering superior properties. GRP enables production in much shorter times compared to other materials. For this reason, wood and metals are more often preferred by workshops where custom designs are made, while GRP is more commonly used by large-scale workshops. GRP has also begun to be preferred by users. Because of properties such as high corrosion resistance, it requires less maintenance. Composite technology, which progresses in line with high technology, is used in many sectors. Maritime is one of these sectors. The use of composites, which enable production with the properties required by the marine industry, is increasing year by year.   Sources 1- Introduction: the use of composites in civil structural applications, V. M. Karbhari 2-http://kompozithayalleri.com/denizcilik-uygulamalarinda-kompozit-malzeme-kullanimi/ 3- Ctp Malzeme Ve Yat Tasarımında Kullanımı, Mehmet Aziz Göksel 4- Deniz Sektöründe Kullanılan Kompozit Malzemelerin Mekanik Özelliklerinin Belirlenmesi İçin Basit Bir Deney Düzeneği, Savaş SEZEN, Süleyman DUMAN, Ozan KAPLAN ve Yalçın ÜNSAN, Emin KORKUT 5- https://rotadeniz.com/hangi-malzemeden-yapilmis-tekne-almaliyiz/   Prepared by: Nilsu Kotil