Material properties

The properties and performance characteristics of any rope are reliant on the materials from which they are made.  The following series of tables sets out to compare the key physical properties of the most frequently used materials. 

Modulus, strength and elongation are all interconnected 

Specific gravity (buoyancy of a rope / material) Specific gravity is a measure of the density of a material; a Specific Gravity of 1.0 is equivalent to a density of 1g per cm3 (i.e. a Specific Gravity <1 means the material floats). The following table shows the specific gravity of some of the materials commonly used in fibre ropes.

All materials are affected by UV radiation to some extent. The actual affect on a rope by UV is very difficult to predict as it is reliant on a number of random factors such as intensity of UV and length of exposure. 

The table on the left shows the typical melting or decomposition temperature of some common rope making materials. 

Exposure to chemicals can have a significant affect on the strength and performance of ropes, depending on the material used in construction.  This table details the residual strength of synthetic fibres after chemical exposure under specific conditions.