Aluminum, an alternative to GRP for manufacturing of sports boats

Abstract

Pollution is being discussed more and more in the world. It is known that the production of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester (GRP) is a polluting process. Also, the implementation of GRP is a process that can cause various ailments to the personnel who apply it. Over time, boats made of GRP suffer degradation due to interaction with the environment: cracks, exfoliation of the outer layer of gelcoat, etc. These degradations must be remedied, operations that involve the application of substances that are also polluting. More and more traditional manufacturers of sports boats are replacing GRP with aluminum. This, although the process of obtaining it from the ore is not without toxic components, is less polluting and friendlier to the executors than GRP. In this paper, we seek to elucidate the advantages that aluminum has over GRP in the construction of sports boats.