RECYCLING OF FRP BOATS

Application of Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) for marine structures range from small boats to ships. Their scope also extends to underwater vehicles and the deck structures of offshore platforms. Use of composites in boat building can be traced back to nineteen fifties. Sea going boats are subjected to considerable wave forces besides cargo loads. With the latest developments in material science, it is possible to engineer the composite materials with necessary strength and durability in the marine environment. Recycling of obsolete boats is a growing issue in the marine industry especially with the interference of various environmental monitoring agencies and maritime organisations. Recycling of the existing boats is complex and costly since the existing boats are not ‘built to be recycled'. Besides reporting the application of nonmetallic composite in the marine environment, this paper addresses the issue of recycling of FRP boats. A guidance plan for the recycling of FRP boats is presented in the paper. The paper also describes the application of design for ship recycling concept in the context of FRP boats and presents a recyclability analysis of the FRP materials that are dismantled from the boats. Safe recycling of FRP and other materials from boats from a sustainable development perspective has been addressed.