Study of a Titanium Wire Rope Developed for Marine Applications

The mechanical properties and fatigue performance of a titanium wire rope have been experimentally determined. The rope has a nominal diameter of 1 4-in. and is of 7 x 7 structural form. Other salient constructional details of the rope include the use of two titanium alloys and two wire lubricants. Furthermore, lay lengths of the rope and of invidual strands were increased over those for similarly constructed steel ropes. The overall test program consisted of two major parts static tensile tests and acial fatigue tests. For purposes of comparison, stainless-steel and galvanized-steel wire ropes of the same nominal diameter and 7 x 7 form were also subjected to these tests. Test results indicate that the strength-to-weight ratio and stretch characteristics of the titanium rope are superior to those of the steel ropes. However, the fatigue- life data suggest that it would fail as a part of a marine structure in a significantly shorter period of time than would either of the two less expensive steel ropes.