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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.
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
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)
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.
−
−
−
110−130
0.94−0.96
polythene
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
2.3
ments, the type of installation and the polymer being used. 46
Some installations are jointed by screw threads, but on board
−
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
Excellent
Self-ext.
Normal
75−82
impact
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
which are suitable for the conveyance of fresh and salt water,
Izod: ft. Ib./in. notch at 23°C
Among the polymers used for plastic pipe are high- and low-
Abrasion resistance
Dielectric constant
Melting point °C
Flammability