What are subsea buoyancy materials?
Comprising high-grade hollow glass microspheres (HGMS) and a novel thermoset polymer mix, our Subtec® syntactic buoyancy materials are formulated to produce ultra-high strength-to-weight characteristics with excellent water ingress resistance.
Our Subtec® subsea buoyancy materials are designed to be low-density and high-strength, qualified for use in seawater depths down to 11,500 metres.
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How are subsea buoyancy materials made?
Our Subtec® syntactic buoyancy materials are cast into standard block sizes (750mm x 500mm x 150mm). Blocks can be bonded together and machined to create buoyancy modules that meet the application requirements. Each grade of material is colour coded to ensure depth rating matches within subsea buoyancy modules.
Key Features
- Low-density formulation for maximum uplift
- Densities range from 400 to 650 kg/m3
- Range of materials qualified for use in seawater depths, from 2,000 to 11,500 metres
- Each grade is colour-coded to ensure depth rating matches within subsea buoyancy modules
- Excellent water ingress resistance
- High-strength-to-weight materials
APPLICATIONS
Subtec® syntactic buoyancy materials are the ideal solution for subsea applications including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and human-operated vehicles (HOVs). These vehicles are used for a wide variety of purposes, including:
- Subsea intervention equipment for inspecting pipelines and other equipment
- Subsea military search and rescue vehicles
- Subsea defence platforms (submarines)
- Oceanographic surveying equipment
- Scientific research vehicles and equipment
