Abstract (EN):
The mooring lines of offshore vessels are composed of metallic chains coupled with polyester cables. In this setting, failure of a single chain link can result in severe financial losses, environmental disaster and deadly hazard to personnel. It is known that fretting wear due to torsional reciprocating movement is one of the main causes of early failure of a R3 offshore steel chain link. In this study, a possible option to increase the lifespan and reliability of mooring chains is presented. The torsional fretting wear behavior of a Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (PC/ABS) 60:40 blend is compared to the reference configuration. Wear scars are investigated using confocal microscopy analysis. The PC/ABS, despite having a much weaker structure and higher wear rate, shows a considerably more predictable wear behavior. It is concluded that, a PC/ABS coating can lead to a significant increase in reliability of operation and lifespan of a mooring system.
Language:
English
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific
No. of pages:
10