BUOYANT COMPOSITE MATERIAL

摘要

A moulded composite material is disclosed which comprises a set of elongate tubular members 22 arranged substantially parallel to each other within a surrounding matrix 20 which comprises plastics, and most preferably syntactic foam. The matrix material is excluded from the interior of the tubular members, e.g. by provision of end caps 34 on the tubular member ends, and the resulting material is buoyant. The tubular members can be particularly closely packed to minimise density of the material and contribute strength to the material. Applications of the material include buoyancy modules, particularly for pipes and risers used subsea.