Technological problems and operational safety of ship structures made of aluminum alloys

The article presents selected technological problems that occurred during the construction of ship structures from aluminum alloys in Polish shipyards and problems with their subsequent operation. In the 1960s, several fast torpedo boats were built, whose hull and superstructure were made of 5019 and 5086 alloys respectively, and in the 1980s, a corvette was built with a large, three-deck superstructure made of weldable, high-strength 7020 alloy. The method of monitoring corrosion processes aimed at increasing operational safety is presented.

The Polish shipbuilding industry has in the past undertaken many challenges in the design and construction of new vessels intended for military operations. At the end of the 1950s, after the completion of design work, the construction of a torpedo boat was started with a hull made of 5019 (AlMg5Mn-PA20) alloy and a superstructure made of 5086 (AlMg4Mn) alloy. At that time, these alloys possessed the best features of a lightweight material with good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. 20 years later, the construction of a corvette (patrol vessel) began with an aluminum superstructure 40 m long, twice as long as the cutter and with 10 times the displacement. In both cases, these were great and ambitious design challenges, which were partially successful. Torpedo boats with excellent tactical and technical parameters [1] would have had a chance of success if not for the introduction of missile weapons into the navy, which eliminated torpedoes and thus ships of this type. (…)

Keywords: marine aluminum alloys, transport, safety, corrosion monitoring – PDF file for download