MATERIALS | PRESSURE PIPES
“Piping products with increased pressure
resistance are increasingly in demand in the heating and cooling market,” said the company. The change is also accompanied by a new
appearance: all Aquatherm blue pipe products will now be single-coloured blue – without green stripes in future. The Fusiolen PP-RCT material is characterised by
increased pressure resistance at higher tempera- tures. With the change, Aquatherm says its blue pipe will be a better fit for applications such as high-pressure risers, high-temperature heating and district heating and industrial process systems. The material is classified as a polypropylene
Above: Victrex Peek is used on Magma Global’s M-Pipe TCP – and now on a new type of hybrid pipe
experienced huge leakage problems – with an estimated 75% of the water from the dam being lost on the way to the city. The situation led the city authorities to implement new measures to ensure a water supply to the population – which was already suffering daily water cuts, with a supply for only six hours per day. The answer was to build a 12.5km long pipeline
from the Belmeken dam. It is made from Molecor’s TOM PVC-O pipe, has a diameter of 630mm and a pressure range of 16, 20 and 25 bar. The line has a capacity of 300 litres/second. The project began on 29 January 2020 and, with an installation rate of several kilometres per day, was finished on 13 March.
As well as their lightness – being around 50% less dense than PE or PVC, and up to 12 times less than cast iron – the PVC-O pipes were easy to join, which helped to eliminate leaks. Molecor adds that the pipes have a 15-40% higher hydraulic capacity than pipes of the same external diameter, made from other materials. This helps to reduce pumping costs. The PVC-O pipes are resistant to water hammer and to sudden variations in flow and pressure – which helps to reduce the possibility of rupture and leakage. Low maintenance costs was a key advan- tage of the new line. Molecor says that the service life of the pipes is
more than 75 years – leading to huge resource savings in the long term.
Pipe upgrade Aquatherm has increased the pressure resistance of it blue pipe system – for heating and cooling applications – by making it from a different material. Its blue pipe – in SDR 11 and SDR 17.6 – will now be made from its Fusiolen PP-RCT material, and renamed Aquatherm blue pipe MF RP.
26 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | May 2020
random copolymer with increased pressure resistance in accordance with ISO 15874. It meets stringent international and national standards for PP pressure piping, says Aquatherm. With the same outside diameter and wall thickness, pipes made of it can withstand higher pressures than standard PP-R pipes, especially at higher temperatures, says the company. The connection technology remains the same as it is for PP-R: the new pipe can be heat-fused to all Aquatherm green pipe fittings using the same fusion tools as PP-R pipe.
Worth its salt Most pipes for pressure applications are made from polyolefins, but engineering materials – such as Peek from Victrex – have also been used in specialist high pressure applications. The material forms the basis of M-Pipe – a thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) from Magma Global. The two companies, along with Tech- nipFMC, recently ran a seminar to explain how to combine polymeric materials with traditional flexible pipe to create ‘hybrid flexible pipes’ (HFPs). “In flexibles, the loading on the polymeric components is low as it acts as an intermediate leakproof sheath,” said Geoff Small, head of technology for energy at Victrex. “In HFPs the role of the polymer is also to act as a protective liner/ conduit – and most importantly as a matrix for the composite.” M-Pipe and HFPs were recently qualified for use
in Brazil’s pre-salt region – an oil-rich reserve below both carbonate salt and water. They must withstand tough conditions, including high temperatures (up to 200°C) and pressures (up to 20ksi). To overcome technical challenges and assess solutions for use in Brazil’s pre-salt region, the composite materials selection needs thorough assessment, said Small. The region contains large reserves of high-quality light oil, but high levels of CO2
(around 12%) and H2 S – plus high tempera-
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