Cunifer For Marine Construction Materials
The construction supplies that are used in land usually don't make the cut when used in the sea. Although some materials like wood and metal are acceptable construction materials, they might decompose in just a short time when used for structures that are used in the sea. That's why a lot of shipbuilders consider Cunifer, a resilient material that is ideal for use in structures often submerged in seawater.
A copper alloy specifically developed to be used in ships, vessels, and other structures and transport devices that come in contact with seawater, Cunifer got its name from the three components it is made from, which are copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe). A cunifer material specification that is critical to ships is its high resistance to seawater. It undergoes a chemical reaction when it's exposed to saltwater, developing a layer of film to protect itself from corroding, unlike other metals. It still retains its decomposition resistance quality even after welding.
It's also resistant to biofouling, or the growth of sea biological creatures on its surface, not like other building materials like wood. Biological fouling or biofouling is the process when biological organisms build up on the exterior of another material. This frequently shows up on submerged parts of structures, such as on the wooden posts of piers and on the hulls of ships. Biofouling creatures, such as mussels and barnacles, just slide off when subjected to flowing water instead of sticking on the exterior of Cunifer.
The problem with Cunifer is that it's not cheap. Although it is an ideal shipbuilding material, the start-up cost isn't as low as the others. However, it is also low maintenance, which helps offset the start-up cost. There are other benefits of Cunifer too. It calls for fewer periodic cleaning just to remove the buildups, and it doesn't need to be painted with antifouling coatings since creatures adhere very poorly to it. Because it does not decay, its plating can be thinner.
It is vulnerable to discoloration caused by the formation of oxides, however, much like most copper alloys. To give the material a matte and gold-tinted appearance, it can be coated with a chromate-based cleansing agent. Then again, the treatment is expensive, that's why it's not always applied.
A copper alloy specifically developed to be used in ships, vessels, and other structures and transport devices that come in contact with seawater, Cunifer got its name from the three components it is made from, which are copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe). A cunifer material specification that is critical to ships is its high resistance to seawater. It undergoes a chemical reaction when it's exposed to saltwater, developing a layer of film to protect itself from corroding, unlike other metals. It still retains its decomposition resistance quality even after welding.
It's also resistant to biofouling, or the growth of sea biological creatures on its surface, not like other building materials like wood. Biological fouling or biofouling is the process when biological organisms build up on the exterior of another material. This frequently shows up on submerged parts of structures, such as on the wooden posts of piers and on the hulls of ships. Biofouling creatures, such as mussels and barnacles, just slide off when subjected to flowing water instead of sticking on the exterior of Cunifer.
The problem with Cunifer is that it's not cheap. Although it is an ideal shipbuilding material, the start-up cost isn't as low as the others. However, it is also low maintenance, which helps offset the start-up cost. There are other benefits of Cunifer too. It calls for fewer periodic cleaning just to remove the buildups, and it doesn't need to be painted with antifouling coatings since creatures adhere very poorly to it. Because it does not decay, its plating can be thinner.
It is vulnerable to discoloration caused by the formation of oxides, however, much like most copper alloys. To give the material a matte and gold-tinted appearance, it can be coated with a chromate-based cleansing agent. Then again, the treatment is expensive, that's why it's not always applied.