Marine Applications of Plastic Piping – Requirements and Market Review

Plastic piping has become more common onboard marine vessels, but plastics have additional requirements over metallic piping materials. While plastics offer superior corrosion resistance and weight savings over metals these benefits must be weighed against the effect of fire on plastic piping. These requirements vary based on system, location, and regulatory ruleset which can cause confusion when discussing the application. This paper attempts to clearly summarize the requirements as well as highlight some of the benefits and weaknesses of various plastic piping materials.