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Marine Materials
An Introduction
The Marine Industry poses a raft of requirements for engineering materials. The first one that comes to mind is the issue of corrosion many materials face in salt water solutions, so a resistance to these events is a must. With a specific weight of 1.025Kg/l, marine structures must also be incredibly strong to withstand the forces inflicted by seawater, both stationary and under pressure from, let alone the weight of ships and liners themselves.
Often within the world of engineering, there are crossovers within industries, and this is also true of the Marine industry. As well as all of the vessels used at sea level, including; boats, yachts, desalination plants etc, we also have to consider the uses of equipment which aren't utilising the sea itself, but are more interested in what lies beneath. Oil & Gas, for example, sits neatly within this particular segment, and the materials used must withstand both the marine environment and the chemical.
The materials and applications on this page are listed solely as a guide and do not reflect the limit of our supply, or the uses of said materials. If you have a specific application for which you need particular materials, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Aluminium
Pros
+ Straightforward to form into complex shapes, by drawing, extruding etc.
+ May be joined by welding, bonding and riveting, including to different materials
+ Excellent corrosion resistance to both fresh and seawater
+ High strength
+ Lightweight, aiding manoeverability, reducing fuel consumption and increasing performance
+ May be anodised to increase corrosion resistance, reduce scratching and match colouring aesthetics
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Cons
Nickel
Pros
+ Excellent corrosion resistance to saltwater, chlorides and aqeuous solutions
+ Very high strength
+ Superior high temperature properties
+ A very useful alloy in Stainless Steel
+ Fit and forget - practically maintenence free
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Nickel in Marine
Steel
Pros
+ Straightforward to form into required shapes
+ Austenitic Stainless and Duplex Steels offer very good corrosion resistance to freshwater, salt water and chlorides
+ High strength to build marine structures including cranes and bridges, as well as ships and shipping containers
+ Easy to join via welding and riveting
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Steel in Marine
Titanium
Pros
+ Superior strength to weight ratio
+ Excellent corrosion resistance to freshwater, sea water, aqeuous and gaseous corroding media
+ Very high specific strength
+ Very lightweight
+ Exceptional high temperature characteristics
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Titanium in Marine
Carbon Fibre
Pros
+ Straightforward to form into complex shapes
+ Excellent corrosion resistance
+ High strength - may be used from smaller vessels to superyachts
+ Very lightweight, allowing superior manoeverability, lower fuel consumption and increased performance
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Carbon Fibre in Marine
Aramids
Pros
+ Straightforward to form into complex shapes
+ Excellent corrosion resistance
+ High strength
+ Very lightweight
+ Fire retardant - useful for safety barriers/liners
+ Puncture resistant, making Aramids vital for composite hulls
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Aramids in Marine
Integ Metals // Industries // Marine
