Ship Construction: Aluminium
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Contents |
Introduction
Aluminium as a material in marine construction picked up in the last century due to advances in technology.
Next to steel, aluminum is the most commonly used and commercially available metal. Its light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio make it a good choice for just about anything you can make out of metal. Its alloys generally that have excellent corrosion resistance, good workability (machinability) and good to excellent weldability, are often used in marine applications (marine grade aluminum). The Aluminum Association, Inc. uses a standard four-digit numerical system to indicate the main alloying additives, as shown below:
- 1xxx - Pure aluminum at least 99.0%, no alloying elements
- 2xxx - Main alloying element copper (Cu)
- 3xxx - Main alloying element manganese (Mn)
- 4xxx - Main alloying element silicon (Si)
- 5xxx - Main alloying element magnesium (Mg) (marine grade alloys)
- 6xxx - Main alloying elements magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si) (marine grade alloys)
- 7xxx - Main alloying element zinc (Zn)
- 8xxx - Other elements
- 9xxx - Not used
History
The first aluminium used in construction was a steam launch in 1890. Other milestones are as follows:
- Alfred Nobel makes a 13 m x 1.8 m x 0.6 m aluminium boat with a speed of 8 knots.
- In 1893 a French aristocrat made the first sail boat of aluminium.
- In 1895 a 58 m aluminum boat was made by French Navy.
Advantages of Aluminium
The various properties and advantages of alumminum are as follows;
Properties
- Light weight (density of 2.7 T/cu.m compared to steel of 7.85 T/cu.m)
- can withstand strain
- Resistance to corrosion in marine environment
Benefits
- Because it is lightweight, fuel consumption of a ship or boat
Type of Aluminium
These alloys are used for boat building and shipbuilding, and other marine and salt-water sensitive shore applications.
- 5052 aluminium
- 5059 aluminium
- 5083 aluminium
- 5086 aluminium
- 6061 aluminium
- 6063 aluminium
