简介：Honeywell公司与Holloway公司合作提供高强度合成纤维，它的熔点高达150ºC，即300ºF。可以在海上油气建造作业和深水采油作业中用来提升重物。

A high-strength composite fiber used in bullet-resistant armor is garnering attention in offshore heavy-lift operations. Honeywell International recently announced that its high-strength Spectra fiber is a key component in industrial slings used to lift heavy equipment for offshore oil and gas construction and deepwater recovery operations. 

Honeywell has partnered with lifting-products company Holloway Houston to supply Spectra fiber that is woven into slings sold under the name HHIPER LIFT. The slings can easily hoist materials weighing up to four million pounds, according to the companies, and have been used to recover equipment and materials from ocean depths of nearly two miles. 

Spectra fiber is an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber produced using a patented gel-spinning process. This process and subsequent drawing steps allow the fiber to have a much higher melting point (150ºC, or 300ºF) than standard polyethylene. 

The process also provides extreme durability and viscoelastic properties, making the fiber capable of withstanding high-load strain-rate velocities and giving it excellent vibration damping, flex fatigue, and internal fiber-friction characteristics. According to Honeywell, the Spectra fiber is, pound-for-pound, 15 times stronger than steel. Compared to traditional steel slings at the same load rating, the Spectra fiber slings are more than 80% lighter. 

The fiber exhibits high resistance to both chemicals and ultraviolet light, and is ideally suited for marine environments. Its low density makes it naturally buoyant in water, it will not absorb moisture, and it can withstand harsh environments such as cold ocean temperatures. 

The companies point to increased safety as a major benefit of the Spectra fiber lifting slings, as they provide higher load protection and reduced risk of personal injury. They can be operated by a single person, eliminating the need for heavy machinery normally required to move steel slings on the job site. The slings also can be used with existing lifting equipment. 

In addition to offshore oil and gas construction and deepwater recovery operations, the slings can assist with dry docking large vessels. The slings have also reportedly been used to redirect an iceberg from threatening an offshore oil platform in the North Atlantic.