Abrasion resistance: The ability of a rope to withstand surface wear caused by friction or contact with rough surfaces. It's influenced by the rope's material, construction, and any protective coatings.
Angle of Deflection: The angle at which a rope changes direction under load, affecting the load on anchors or pulleys.
Anchor line: A rope or chain used to secure a boat or vessel to an anchor, preventing it from drifting due to wind, waves, or currents.
Bight: A loop or bend in a rope that does not cross itself.
Breaking Strength: The maximum load a rope can bear before failure.
Breaking Load Factor: The ratio of a rope’s minimum breaking strength to its working load limit (typically 5:1 or greater).
Chafe Guard: A protective cover for ropes to prevent abrasion damage.
Coefficient of Friction: A measure of how easily a rope slides over a surface, impacting applications like pulleys and friction knots.
Coiling: Method of organizing a rope into loops for storage or transport.
Creep: Gradual elongation of rope under constant load over time, common in synthetic fibers like nylon.
Cyclic Loading: Repeated application of loads on a rope, which can lead to fatigue and reduced strength.
Elongation: The amount a rope stretches under load, expressed as a percentage of its original length.
Elastic Modulus: Indicates how much a material will stretch or deform under a given load. A higher modulus means the material is stiffer and deforms less under stress, while a lower modulus indicates greater flexibility and more elongation under load.
High Elastic Modulus (Stiff Rope): Ideal for tasks where minimal stretch is required, such as towing, mooring, or precise rigging.
Low Elastic Modulus (Elastic Rope): Preferred for applications that require energy absorption, such as in climbing ropes or rescue lines, to reduce shock forces.
Fatigue Life: Refers to the number of loading and unloading cycles a rope can endure before failure occurs due to repetitive stress. This is an important factor in the durability and longevity of ropes subjected to dynamic or fluctuating loads, such as in climbing, marine environments, or industrial applications.
Eye Splice: A loop created at the end of a rope using splicing techniques.
Friction Hitch: A knot that grips a rope when loaded, often used in climbing and rigging.
Heat Set: A process of pre-tensioning and heating rope fibers to stabilize their structure and reduce stretch.
Lay: The direction and angle of the twist in rope strands.
Load Rating: The maximum weight a rope can safely carry, often expressed as the working load limit (WLL).
Minimum Breaking Strength (MBS): The guaranteed minimum force that will break a rope.
Minimum Bend Radius: The smallest radius a rope can bend without sustaining damage, typically 4–8 times the rope diameter.
Sheath: The protective outer layer of a rope in kernmantle construction.
Splice: A technique for joining two rope ends or creating loops by weaving fibers together.
Splice Efficiency: The percentage of original rope strength retained after splicing (usually ~90–95%).
Tensile Strength: The maximum force a rope can withstand when pulled without breaking.
Tensile Fatigue: Degradation of a rope’s fibers due to repeated tensile loading, leading to reduced breaking strength.
Torsional Stability: A rope's resistance to twisting under load, critical in applications like winch lines.
Whipping: A technique for binding the end of a rope to prevent fraying.
Working Load Limit (WLL): The maximum load a rope can carry during normal use, typically 10–20% of its breaking strength.
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