High Strength In Applications News

3M introduces its new 3M™ Reinforced Polyurethane Foam, a lightweight and rot-resistant alternative to plywood for use in structural and semi-structural applications. These polyurethane foam boards with fiberglass reinforcement provide high strength in applications including marine, transportation and general construction, with a weight savings ranging from 30 to 60 percent versus plywood. “Plywood is currently used in many applications where water causes it to degrade over time,” said Nick Harris, global business leader for 3M Engineered Products and Solutions. Available in five densities ranging from 15 pounds to 26 pounds per cubic foot, Reinforced Polyurethane Foam complements 3M’s existing line of lighter density foam boards and rounds out the company’s offerings in the field.

Participants at a workshop exploring the use of titanium structure for ships found that it is not only possible to construct a ship hull from titanium—or Ti, it could be cost effective. The workshop was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and hosted by the University of New Orleans, where an ONR research program on titanium ship structures is being conducted. Representatives of the shipbuilding industry, titanium suppliers, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force labs, and academia discussed and examined materials, processes and applications. Most ships today are primarily made from steel.