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Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials

The many uses of Plastics Aboard Ship


Article information:
To cite this document:
, (1966),"The many uses of Plastics Aboard Ship", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 13 Iss 11 pp. 22 - 23
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb010161
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The many uses of


PLASTICS ABOARD SHIP Maritimer

I N THE PAST decade the use of man-made polymers—plastics— carrying water, particularly that very corrosive medium, sea-
in marine engineering and shipbuilding has increased so water.
greatly that today they are used for boats, hatch covers, sonar Among the advantages of plastic pipe are its excellent
domes, electrical conduit, weather shields and even propellers; resistance to all fluids normally carried aboard ship, including
to these applications may be added plastic gear wheels, ropes, hydrocarbon products if the right material is scheduled; also,
anti-corrosive coatings, anode shields, adhesives, decorative while it has adequate rigidity for normal fixing, its flexibility
panels and components of furnishings. This list is by no means allows the pipe system to give with the working of the ship.
complete, and because of the versatility of the materials, items It has been found that the use of plastic piping systems results
are added to it almost daily. in less repair of leaks after a storm than do similar systems in
Plastics, like the metals, are a group of materials with many metal; installation is simple; it has a neat appearance and if
common characteristics, but they may differ from one another the correct materials for the purpose are carried, repairs and
as much or more than do, say, lead and steel. The basic plastics modifications to the piping system may be easily carried out at sea.
comprise two types: (1) thermoplastics which can be softened Plastic pipe can be used for cold-, fresh- or salt-water
by heat and can be repeatedly softened and reshaped; and (2) services; hot water to a limited temperature (see below);
thermo-setting resins which soften the first time they are sounding and vent pipes to ballast tanks; waste and soil pipes;
heated, then set hard into permanent shapes which cannot be urinal discharge pipes; salt water coolant services to such
again softened by heating. equipment as propeller shaft bearings and non-essential heat
The basic plastics are, on the whole, more versatile in the exchangers; bilge suction pipes, deck-wash lines, oil tank dip
development of a range of properties than the elemental metals— pipes, etc.
with adjustments in molecular structure, copolymerisation and Plastic pipe may not be used for fire extinguishing services
compounding the basic material with various additives such as and Lloyd's Register of Shipping does not allow the use of
fillers, plasticisers and pigments, a very wide range of materials plastics for any services which are essential to the propulsion
becomes available—with the great advantage that it is not or the safety of the ship.*
difficult, if the economic demand is sufficient, to produce a
material specially tailored to the requirement of the designer. *Since regulations on the use of plastics are continually under
review, it is recommended that the last edition of the Register and
From the anti-corrosion viewpoint probably the most the latest issue of BS 476 be consulted before new plastic piping
important use of plastics aboard ship is in plastic pipe for systems are scheduled.

22 ANTI-CORROSION November 1966


The main disadvantages in using plastics aboard ship are

10-4
their tendency to distort and creep under load with time and

327.4
11.34
Lead

250

×
temperature (it should be remembered that most plastics have






some thermal instability unless they are reinforced) and their

29.3
resistance or otherwise to burning. All polymers will degrade


Aluminium
and ultimately decompose when subjected to high temperatures,

23,000
23,000

4800

654
but their facility to burn varies. Many plastics if held in a flame

204
2.7

20
20



will ignite and burn, some more readily than others, and while
a few will continue to burn after the flame is removed, many




6700−10,500
6700−10,500
are self-extinguishing. It must be borne in mind, however, that

30,000
Copper

30,000
the majority of plastics, whether or not they will support

1033

204
8.8

40
40


casual combustion in a flame, will burn easily in a conflagration
such as a shipboard fire. It is for this reason that they are not



8.6−15 × 10-4 −

permitted in engine rooms and similar locations.

fluorethylene
Plastics, similarly to metals, need to conform to the mechanical

Polytetra-

2.15−2.22
2300
2100
(PTFE)
properties required for correct and successful operational use.

3−1



Some of these materials are stiff and tough, while others arc
brittle; the degree of flexibility varies. Unfortunately, many

(at −40°C)







available tables of mechanical properties published are mislead­

11−17 × 10-5
2800 (at 70°C)
ing for use as design data. The 'standard test' figures are only

Cellulose

3.2−6.2
butyrate
acetate
reliable when the material is used under exactly similar condi-

(CAB)

5500

600
830
1.2

80

60
2
tions to those of the test—usually values determined at one rate

Properties of some plastic pipe (Courtesy of I.C.I.)


and temperature which very often do not coincide with the

0.9



operational conditions. Plastics, for example, vary considerably

10−15 × 10-6
8500−12,000
more with variations in temperature than do metals. As the

1.08−1.14

Very good
Moderate
210−250

Self-ext.
10,400
Downloaded by FREIE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN At 00:10 11 May 2015 (PT)

temperature rises most polymers lose strength, become more

Nylon

1−3
1

66
flexible and stretch. However, if the designer is aware of the
environmental conditions he can usually obtain useful informa­




tion from the files of the development side of the industry.

11 × 10-5
4200−7500
5000−7800
Acrylonitrile

1.01−1.07
butadiene

93−105
Table 1 is included to show the wide range of plastic pipe

styrene

Good
Slow
1120

Fair
800

2−6
3−9

71
available, but it should only be used as a guide and not in the
definitive way in which a similar table of metal properties could.
TABLE 1


In considering the mechanical properties of plastic pipe it

11−17 × 10-5
4600−5500
is not sufficient to rely on the figures for sheet of the same
Polypropy-

0.9−0.91

130−150

Good
4400

Slow
Fair
600
2−4
lene

710
material. Pipe size, wall thickness, presence of sharp bends, as

85
well as pipe quality (pipe should be free from locked-in stresses
or decomposed inclusions), are relevant factors.



5-10 × 10-6 17−28 × 10-6 12−16 × 10-6


Fitting must allow for thermal expansion and more supports
2700−4200

110−130
0.94−0.96
polythene

on horizontal runs are required than would be necessary with


density
High-

2800

Slow
Fair
580
710

3−5

2.35
Fair
3.2

49
metal pipe. It is also often advisable for the pipe to be tested
for specific conditions with regard to pressure and temperature.

Attention should also be given to whether these requirements
are continuous or intermittent.
0.915−0.930
1600−2500

Moderate
polythene

Ductile

80−100
density

Good
1330

Slow
Low-

Fair
300

T h e jointing of plastic pipe depends on the service require­


425

2.3
ments, the type of installation and the polymer being used. 46
Some installations are jointed by screw threads, but on board

ship this type of jointing is not always very successful unless it


5500−6800
1.34−1.4

is done with great care and the threads are cut onto a sleeve on
Self-ext.
10−20

73−83
impact

Good
4000
High

Fair
PVC

710
400

3.3
49

the pipe, not in the pipe wall itself. Other methods are: (a) the
6

solvent cement technique, which is cheap and efficient and is


frequently used with pvc; (b) polythene and polypropylene are

often joined by gas welding (with or without post-heat anneal­


5−6 × 10-5
6500−8500
1.35−1.46

Excellent
Self-ext.
Normal

75−82
impact

ing). The use of compression moulded fittings with flanges


3−3.2
5200

Good
1135
PVC

1−5
760

0.4

60

formed on the pipe ends are common and some moulded fittings
have rigid inserts for support when plastic pipe is joined to

metal pipe.
Coefficient of linear expansion in./in. °C

There are many different varieties of plastic pipe, all of


Softening point (BS 2782/102C)°C

Safe working temperature pipe °C

which are suitable for the conveyance of fresh and salt water,
Izod: ft. Ib./in. notch at 23°C

but whose resistance to hydrocarbons and chemicals varies.


Some are sensitive to light and ageing, but if the correct formu­
40°C lb./sq.in.
Safe stress 23°C lb./sq.in.

lations are chosen a life of at least 50 years can be expected.


40°C lb./sq.in.
UTS 23°C lb./sq.in.

Among the polymers used for plastic pipe are high- and low-
Abrasion resistance
Dielectric constant
Melting point °C

impact pvc; high- and low-density polythene; polypropylene;


Specific gravity

Flammability

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene); nylon (in limited sizes);


Weathering

CAB (cellulose acetate butyrate) and PTFE (polytetrafluoro-


ethylene). At present the most popular piping materials for
0°C

(Continued on page 29)

November 1966 ANTI-CORROSION 23


Downloaded by FREIE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN At 00:10 11 May 2015 (PT)

Plastics on board s h i p (from page 23)


shipboard use arc high-impact PVC and the ABS polymers.
While at the moment the carriage of hot water above about
120°-140°F may present problems, plastic pipe capable of
successfully servicing much hotter water is already far beyond
the experimental stage in its development.
Finally, since the production of new polymer formulations is
so spirited, it is strongly recommended that corrosion engineers
thinking of scheduling plastic as an anti-corrosion agency
should consult the industry, particularly if isolated plastic
piping systems are fitted as an addition, so that troubles attend­
ant on fitting unsuitable pipe supplied by jobbers may be
avoided.

November 1966 ANTI-CORROSION 29

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