New Bright Carbon Fiber Products Co., Ltd

Application of composite materials in hull, ship and submarine

The maritime industry has undergone a profound technological revolution, and hull manufacturing is now relying on the latest generation of production systems. In this change, the introduction of advanced composite materials is a major breakthrough in the field of shipbuilding. This technology allows manufacturers to significantly improve product quality and achieve a stronger and lighter hull structure that optimizes navigation performance and extends the service life of the vessel. In addition, the introduction of composite materials not only brings structural advantages, but also reduces the overall cost due to its automated production potential and the acceleration of the manufacturing process, so that more people can enjoy the convenience brought by this advanced technology. The shipbuilding industry has particularly favored sandwich structures using composite materials, which consist of two hard, high-strength outer layers and a soft, thick core in between. The high flexural stiffness of the outer skin, combined with the shear and compressive stress support function of the core layer, ensures the overall and local stability of the structure. Another significant advantage of this structure is the reduction in weight, which not only increases cargo capacity, but also reduces fuel consumption, reduces inertia, and improves the stability and buoyancy of the ship. At the same time, composites such as FRP also demonstrate excellent corrosion resistance in Marine environments, reducing maintenance requirements. In ship sandwich structures, aromatic polyamides, carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced composite materials are often used as skin, instead of metal. Polymer foams (i.e., polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) and honeycomb materials are mainly used as core materials. A combination of aromatic polyamide fibers (such as Kevlar) or carbon fibers can be reinforced with high-quality resins and ultra-lightweight core materials (such as Nomex), resulting in ships with unmatched mechanical properties and dimensions.

However, compared with traditional materials, the cost of composite sandwich structure is higher, and its manufacturing process is more labor-intensive, which limits its wider application to some extent. Nevertheless, with the continuous progress of technology and the gradual reduction of costs, the future application prospect of composite materials in the maritime industry is still worth looking forward to.