Ship building

Year by year using of structural glass fabrics and silica fabrics increases due to growing demand of the ship-building industry. The ship building uses glass fabrics for production of fibre-glass items: hulls of yachts, motor boats, rowboats, water scooters, small crafts, lifeboats, masts, deck structures, tanks, and fairings.

 

Glass fabrics as a structural material, being a part of fibre glass, are widely used in the ship building due to the combination of features:

 

• High strength-to-mass ratio;

• Durability and resistance of fibre-glass products to water;

• Relatively easy using and repair;

• Low (compared to metals) thermal conductivity of fibre glass;

• Low linear thermal expansion coefficient;

• Wide range of operating temperatures;

 

Besides, in repair works, the ship builders use silica fabric as a high-temperature thermal insulation. Silica fabrics are also used in production of fire-proof items, gas cutting and electric welding, and as replacement for asbestos materials and mullite-silica fibres.