materials feature | Oriented PVC
Sustainable water delivery The PVC4Pipes industry group also asserts that PVC-O pipes are the most sustainable way to deliver water. Steve Tan, spokesman for PVC4Pipes, cites a recent
study by the independent Flemish Institute for Techno- logical Research (Vito). Commissioned by the European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association (Teppfa), Vito carried out life cycle assessment (LCA) from cradle to grave of PVC-O pipes manufactured in wall thicknesses of 1.8mm and 2.7mm. It confirmed that both had a very low environmental impact over a lifespan of 100 years. Tan said that the findings should encourage more
water companies to favour PVC-O pipe. “For any water pipeline installation, the price of pipe
Molecor offers PVC-O pipe in diameters up to 800mm
commercially – was developed by Yorkshire Industrial Plastics, which was later acquired by Uponor. Orienta- tion was achieved in a discontinuous process, by radial expansion of a cut, preformed pipe. In 1994, Wavin introduced its in-line Apollo system, which used a fixed mandrel connected to the die. Using different water temperatures, it managed to shorten the length of the inline process. In 2006, Molecor of Spain introduced an offline ‘dry’
system, which used heated air to stretch the pipes. Spekreisje’s company, Rollepaal, introduced an inline, air-based technology, called RBlue, in 2009. Spekreisje said that PVC-O has greater impact
resistance than UPVC, especially at low temperatures. “The impact resistance of PVC-O at low tempera-
tures is higher than that of UPVC under normal working conditions,” he said. And he cited life cycle analysis (LCA) studies which
showed the benefits of PVC-O: it uses less material – for the same type of pipe – than either UPVC or PE. And, it is made from 43% non-renewable fossil fuel, compared to nearly 100% for PE. The carbon footprint for PVC-O was 35% lower than for PE, he said.
PVC-O in Asia
Wavin Overseas commissioned four new PVC-O extrusion lines in 2013 – including its first to Asia. The line was sold to Wavin Duta Jaya (WDJ) in Indonesia. The other
three lines, which can manufacture pipes up to 500mm diameter, were sold to North and South America. Since 2000, the company has supplied 19 PVC-O extrusion lines around
the world. Its BiAxial process make socketed PVC-O pipe via a continuous process. PVC-O pipes have twice the strength of regular PVC-U pipes, but can be produced with a 50% saving in raw materials, says Wavin.
12 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | October 2014
www.pipeandprofile.com
is only about 10% of the full cost of installation,” he said. “Water companies are aware that PVC-O pipes outlive and outperform their heavy rivals.” A separate LCA study carried out by Edge Environ- ment in 2009, commissioned by the Plastics Industry Pipe Association (Pipa) of Australia, compared identical functional units of PVC-O with cement-lined ductile iron pipes and concluded that PVC-O pipe was “substantially the best performer”. As well as the corrosion resistance of PVC-O pipes,
Tan pointed to their much lighter weight. “Ductile iron pipes require more than twice the
energy to produce than PVC-O pipes. The force of gravity is also a major environmental challenge: from truck to trench, their transportation and handling leaves deep carbon footprints,” he said
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