Editing Canoe (section)

=== Plastic ===
[[Folding boat|Folding]] canoes usually consist of a [[PVC]] skin around an aluminum frame.[[File:A Royalex Mad River Outrage canoe on the Hudson River in the Adirondack Park, New York State..jpg|alt=A Royalex Mad River Outrage canoe on the Hudson River in the Adirondack Park, New York State.|thumb|A Royalex Mad River Outrage canoe on the Hudson River in the Adirondack Park, New York State]]
[[Inflatable boat|Inflatable]] canoes contain no rigid frame members and can be deflated, inflated, folded, and stored in bags and boxes. The more durable types consist of an abrasion-resistant nylon or [[Natural rubber|rubber]] outer shell with separate PVC air chambers for the two side tubes and the floor.<ref>James Weir, ''Discover Canoeing: A Complete Introduction to Open Canoeing'', p.17, Pesda Press, 2010, {{ISBN|1906095124}}</ref>

[[Royalex]] — a [[composite material]] comprising an outer layer of [[Polyvinyl chloride|vinyl]] and hard [[acrylonitrile butadiene styrene]] plastic (ABS) and an inner layer of ABS foam bonded by heat treatment — was another plastic alternative for canoes until 2014, when the raw composite material was discontinued by its only manufacturer.<ref name="Rosco">{{cite web |title=Royalex (RX) |url=http://www.roscocanoes.com.au/FAQ%60s/Materials%20%20Manufactoring/Royalex%20(RX)-253.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225015946/http://www.roscocanoes.com.au/FAQ%60s/Materials%20%20Manufactoring/Royalex%20%28RX%29-253.aspx |archive-date=25 February 2011 |access-date=20 November 2010}}</ref> As a canoe material, Royalex is lighter, more resistant to [[Ultraviolet|UV]] damage, and more rigid, and has greater structural memory than non-composite plastics such as [[polyethylene]]. Canoes made of Royalex were, however, more expensive than canoes made from aluminum or from [[Molding (process)|traditionally molded]] or [[Rotational molding|roto-molded]] [[polyethylene]] hulls.<ref name="Rosco" /> Royalex is heavier and less suited for high-performance paddling than fiber-reinforced composites such as [[fiberglass]], [[kevlar]], or [[graphite]].