Future Trends in Sustainable Marine Composite Materials and Regulations

The structural design of small crafts is governed by the ISO 12215 [1]. In recent years, advances in composite materials and manufacturing have been reflected in the standard for monohulls (ISO 12215-5), including both recreational and commercial vessels [2]. New parts to the standard were added, namely tackling multihulls (ISO 12215-7) and rigs loads (ISO 12215-10), while the standard concerned with the appendages for sailing yachts (ISO 12215-9) is currently under review [3].
With increasing concerns for the environmental impact of yachts and their overall life cycle assessment, sustainable composite materials have emerged [4,5]. However, default mechanical properties (as available for E-glass, aramid and carbon fibre) remain to be provided in structural regulations. This is a hindrance to the wider adoption of sustainable composite materials [6], as time consuming and expensive mechanical tests must be undertaken.
Consequently, this work aims to present the future trends in composite materials, with a focus on the mechanical properties of sustainable fibres for regulatory inclusion in the next revisions of the ISO 12215-5.