JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #93 - December 2014 - 44

defence

Composite superstructures
for the world's largest destroyer
More cruiser than destroyer, the DDG 1000 is 185.9 metres long and
24.6 metres wide, reaching 15,610 tons at full load. The vessel's
superstructures are made of composite materials.

he Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is the
lead ship of a new generation of
destroyers for the US Navy, costing US$ 4 billion (per unit). Two more
vessels of this type will be built: the
Michael Monsoor and the Lyndon B.
Johnson. The world's largest destroyer,
this new ship is radar transparent and its
cannons can reach targets 160 km away.
Built by Bath Ironworks, part of General
Dynamics, the Zumwalt, named after
Admiral Elmon Zumwalt (1900-2000),
was christened on 12 April 2014 at Bath
Ironworks in Bath, Maine.

Composite panels
The hull of this new generation of
destroyers is still made of steel, but
to reduce the boat's total weight, the
deckhouse was made from composite
materials. Composites are also used to
reduce the radar impact. For example,

The Zumwalt is the head of the new generation
of destroyers

the masts and antennas have been integrated inside the composite superstructure. The radars and other sensors are
also embedded in the superstructure.
The deckhouse, built by Ingall's Shipbuilding, is made of carbon-reinforced
vinyl ester, while its roof is made of phenolic resin in order to meet the Navy's
fire codes. DuraSip, a Mississippi-based
company (USA) chartered in January
2008, produced and supplied the
560 m² of phenolic panels used for
the roof. Mektech Composites Inc.,
the exclusive distributor for Momentive products, supplied the Cellobond
J2027L® phenolic resin.

The value chain
Mektech is a distributor of user-friendly
phenolic resins used to produce lowdensity composites with far superior
fire/smoke/smoke toxicity properties
and high temperature resistance. These
resins easily meet the stringent European fire codes for underground transit
applications. They can be processed via
hand lay-up, spray-up, vacuum infusion,
RTM filament winding, pultrusion and
press moulding.
Since phenolics are inherently fire
retardant without the use of fillers or
additives, an unfilled phenolic part will
weigh 20-30% less than a filled polyester
or vinyl ester.
DuraSip LLC was established to

44 jec composites magazine / No93 December 2014

The deckhouse is made of carbon-reinforced
vinylester

manufacture and sell a mass-produced
continuous phenolic fibreglass laminate
that has nearly unlimited applications
in residential, industrial, commercial,
retrofit/recladding construction, transportation, military, communications,
disaster relief housing, and economical
housing markets worldwide. Products
are sold under the trademark name of
DURA-SIP.
For more than 75 years, the more than
12,000 employees of Ingalls Shipbuilding facilities have pioneered the development and production of technologically advanced, highly capable warships
for the surface Navy fleet, U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and foreign
and commercial customers. Ingalls
Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, with 11,000
employees, is the largest manufacturing
employer in Mississippi. n
More information:
mekmail@prodigy.net
www.durasip.com

http://www.durasip.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #93 - December 2014

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