Synthetic Rope Mooring
Synthetic fibre ropes offer a potential solution to the weight problems of using steel mooring lines in deepwater as they have a very low weight in water.
Also, compared to steel, there are a very large number of synthetic fibre material compositions with a wide range of material properties. A synthetic rope can therefore be designed to have properties that match the mooring requirements.
Materials that have potential for mooring line application include:
- Nylon
- Polyester
- Aramid (Kevlar)
- Liquid Crystal Polymer
- High Modulus Polyethylene (HMPE)
Some of the issues which affect choice of yarn material and the rope construction are:
- Load-extension behavior
- Internal heating
- Durability & fatigue endurance
- Wear & abrasion
- Handling & installation
The
currently favoured synthetic material is polyester for reasons of
cost and good fatigue endurance. Polyester has also been used in
rope constructions for several years, and the issues of manufacture
and end termination for large rope sizes have been satisfactorily
resolved. Polyester ropes also have elasticity in the range most
suitable for taut mooring of vessels with typical wave motions in
very deep and ultra deep water depths up to around 1500 metres (5000
feet).
