Polyurethane Marine Tether

Gallagher Corporation currently supplies many products to be used in and around both fresh and salt water. While the whole family of polyurethanes has a range of resistance to hydrolysis, Gallagher has the knowledge and expertise to guide your material selections. When the correct polyurethane compound is chosen for a marine application, the material will be resistant to water, resistant to the degrading effects of abrasion and impact loads and also be resistant to the effects of UV light.

Case Study: Elastic Marine Tether

The elastic polyurethane marine tether was developed to improve upon the disadvantages of using steel chain to moor vessels in a harbor or at a dock. When a vessel is tethered with a chain, the chain develops high point loads on the vessel when it becomes taut due to wave action. A secondary disadvantage of chain mooring is that the chain will drag on the seabed and disrupt native vegetation which serves as habitat and food for sea life.

The polyurethane tether was developed to stretch as it becomes taut, drastically reducing point loads on the vessel. Since the polyurethane is less dense than the steel chain it can also be easily supported above the sea floor with use of submerged buoys.

The polyurethane tether was developed to stretch as it becomes taut, drastically reducing point loads on the vessel. Since the polyurethane is less dense than the steel chain it can also be easily supported above the sea floor with use of submerged buoys.

The high tensile and tear strength, coupled with a very large elongation at break and hydrolysis resistance make polyurethane the ideal material selection for this application.