Impact raises the bar in pipeline solutions for emerging countries

Impact, the leading solutions provider to petrochemicals and plastics industry, is pushing forward with a range of new plastic pipe and pipeline solutions for high temperature and aggressive working environments.

Polymer manufacturers, asset owners of public and private infrastructure, engineering contractors and manufacturers of plastics pipe are leading the interest and take up of Impact’s in-depth know-how related to polymer and compound design and pipeline lifetime costs.  Impact Chief Executive Rob Meek says that ‘recent expansion in polymer plant build in the Gulf States, India and other emerging markets has catalysed and fuelled this new demand for failsafe pipe technology. Not only must this pipeline technology meet the harsh working conditions of the local environment it must also be offered at the overall lowest cost over the lifetime of the pipeline.’

Impact’s Ed Clutton and Les Rose are leading the innovation work: Clutton says that ‘for reasons of cost and performance, Polyethylene (PE) pipes are now an unassailable and key ingredient for success in these market areas. The way forward lies in re-engineering the right materials in order to produce better performance at lower cost.  The PE 100 classification with its improved resistance to cracking at higher density (stiffness) is the preferred material. At high ambient temperatures and in aggressive physical and chemical environments e.g. trenchless installation leading to rock impingement - long term resistance to cracking becomes crucial and PE 100 is expected to have an advantage.  In response to these increasing demands, the appropriate pipe standards have been revised to stipulate higher performance.’

Impact is playing a leading role in ensuring the highest quality of pipe materials and products.  Says Les Rose, ‘we are working closely with new pipe resin manufacturers to improve the consistency of their production and in advising licensees of cascade processes on changes required in the polymer structure at molecular level in order to deliver the necessary improved performance, for now and in the future. We are also advising on critical compounding activities.’

The use of SMARTTM testing techniques developed for rapid appraisal of small-scale samples is also an essential tool for this Impact work. Applicable to both laboratory prepared samples or samples taken from extruded pipe, the use of these techniques greatly accelerates new product development and time to market.  Benchmarking of polymers is a critical activity (see graph (attached)) where the key properties of impact strength and resistance to slow crack growth are compared for several of the leading pipe resins and a number of materials from new/developing polymer suppliers. 

A range of behaviours is observed with the best performing polymers having a balance of good impact strength and resistance to slow crack growth as measured by the notch pipe test. An envelope of excellent performance can be defined and used to target improvements. The relative chemical inertness of PE has seen it employed in a wide range of industries including sewage treatment and desalination plants in the Gulf and India. The use of SMARTTM testing has been extended to assess the influence of aggressive chemicals at elevated temperature on PE’s and other polymers to determine design and lifetime data for plastic pipelines in demanding environments.  This work has revealed certain chemicals, whilst benign at low temperatures, disassociate and become aggressive at elevated temperatures.

Plastics, including PE, are also being used in oil and gas applications as components in multilayer pipe systems for oil recovery where operating temperatures vary typically up to 50°C.  Here, Impact is providing designers with technical data relevant to installation of liners and predictions for expected service lifetime.  ‘Recently,’ says Clutton, ‘we have had the opportunity to perform an evaluation of a PE liner recovered from a water injection line after more than 10 years in sub-sea operation.  Initial results are very encouraging and show the plastic liner has performed well and has protected the steel pipe against the corrosive oil.  All our pipeline clients can benefit from this developing body of knowledge and our increasingly innovative solutions for long-term pipe performance especially as we push the envelope in the more demanding environments and applications.

As more of Impact’s work focuses on the oil and gas and utilities markets, Impact has accordingly broadened its expertise of product performance into other polymer systems, e.g. Peek, PP, Nylon and PVDF.  With the use of these high performance polymers, the aim is to develop pipe systems suitable for operating at higher temperatures, up to 100°C and beyond. ‘Plastics pipes and pipeline technology of all kinds is critical to us at Impact,’ says Rose, and we are committed to stay in the forefront of the industry, helping to meet the infrastructure challenges of the 21st Century and especially in those emerging countries where plastic pipeline integrity is critical.

All further details from Chris Beaumont at Impact. Tel. 01324 489 182 [email protected] www.impact-labs.com