Evaluating the Mechanical Properties of Fiber Yarns for Developing Synthetic Fiber Chains

In this study, three types of synthetic fiber materials were evaluated, namely, DM20, SK78, and T147, to replace steel chains in shipbuilding and offshore fields with fiber chains as there is increasing demand for chains with lighter weights and improved usabilities. The strength and quasi-static stiffness were analyzed to select suitable yarns for the fiber chains. The durability of the yarn was evaluated by performing a 3-T (time to rupture) test as a specific tension level. The results of the experiment revealed excellent dynamic stiffness in DM20 and highest values of the windward and leeward stiffness in T147. 3-T linear design characteristic curves for a specific tension level were derived for the three types of fiber materials. The findings of this study can provide insights for improving strength and durability in fiber chain design. Received 5 October 2021, revised 11 November 2021, accepted 15 November 2021 Corresponding author Seonjin Kim: +82-51-629-6163, sjkim@pknu.ac.kr c 2021, The Korean Society of Ocean Engineers This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution non-commercial license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.