Marinisation (also marinization) is design, redesign, or testing of products for use in a

marine environment Marine habitats are habitats that support marine life. Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea (the term ''marine'' comes from the Latin ''mare'', meaning sea or ocean). A habitat is an ecological or environmental ...

. Most commonly, it refers to use and long-term survival in harsh, highly corrosive

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...

conditions. Marinisation is done by many manufacturing industries worldwide including many military organisations, especially navies. In some instances, cost is not a guiding force, and items may be designed from scratch with entirely non-corrosive components

engineered Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specializ ...

and assembled to resist the effects of vibration and constantly changing

attitude Attitude may refer to: Philosophy and psychology * Attitude (psychology), an individual's predisposed state of mind regarding a value * Metaphysics of presence * Propositional attitude, a relational mental state connecting a person to a pro ...

. In others, particularly in "marinising" an existing product that was not designed specifically for a marine environment for sale in the public marketplace, a balance must be found between the competing criteria. There are three main factors that need to be considered for a product to be truly marinised. * Resistance to

corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...

. * Resistance to

vibration Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic function, periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum ...

. * Ability to function properly in conditions of constantly changing

(an object's ''orientation'' about its center of gravity).

Examples

Metals

Marinised

metals A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

include some of the following: * Non-corrosive

alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, ...

s that resist or are impervious to salt-water corrosion, e.g. 316 marine grade

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

;

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

(an alloy of

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

and

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

), or

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

(which contains copper with

tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal. Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...

in place of zinc). :The adjectival phrase "marine grade" being used when the above alloys have all impurities removed and are suitable for exposure to a marine environment. * Metals electroplated or dipped in a corrosion-resistant material, e.g. galvanised steel * Metals painted with special anti rust or anti corrosion coatings * Plastic coated metals

Electronics

Marinised

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

use one or more of the following protection methods. In most cases more than one method is used: * Coating by a spray or dipping to protect from salt air and water. * Full encapsulation in some form of resin or gel. * Specialised mounting of internal parts for vibration protection. * Use of specialised corrosion resistant solder and corrosion resistant metals.

Batteries

Marinised batteries are usually gel batteries or sealed maintenance-free batteries. Not using marinised batteries in salt water can be deadly in an enclosed environment for many reasons: #

Sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...

and salt water react to generate dangerous

hydrogen chloride The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula and as such is a hydrogen halide. At room temperature, it is a colourless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric water vapor. Hydrogen chloride ga ...

gas, necessitating the use of valve-regulated maintenance-free sealed batteries. # The battery must have stronger plates and separators to withstand constant vibrations and impacts caused by large waves striking the hull. Plate collapse can cause short-circuits and electrical fires or explosions. # A marine battery must function at any angle due to the changing attitude of the vessel it is mounted in. Gel

VRLA A valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) battery, commonly known as a sealed lead–acid (SLA) battery, is a type of lead–acid battery characterized by a limited amount of electrolyte ("starved" electrolyte) absorbed in a plate separator or formed ...

batteries are best for this purpose.

References

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Examples

Metals

Electronics

Batteries

See also

References