Papers
Plastic Pipes Conference Association # 2018 Las-Vegas
Isabelle J. Berger, Andreas Frank, Gerald Pinter, David Nitsche, Dirk Petry
Electrofusion (EF) sockets constitute a well-established and practically proven technology for the joining of polyethylene (PE) pressure pipes. As for the pipes, the potential lifetime of such welding connections is beside other properties also depending on the resistance against slow crack growth (SCG). The current paper presents a scientific approach for a fracture mechanics lifetime prediction based on quasi-brittle failure behavior of EF sockets made of polyethylene. Therefore, various internal pressure tests on EF sockets were conducted under elevated test conditions with focus on generating quasi-brittle failure curves and investigating characteristics of crack initiation and SCG. In combination with internal pressure tests, a numerical simulation (FEM) model for the stress intensity factor characteristics in EF sockets was created to predict the time to brittle failure. The results demonstrate that with the fracture mechanics approach a reliable prediction of minimum lifetimes of EF sockets for internal pressure loading situations and application oriented installation situations is possible.
Related papers
Author(s) : A. Taraiya, P. Degenhart, M. Soliman, M. Boerakker, R. Handstanger, R. Kleppinger
Since the introduction of polyolefins for pressure pipes, continuous improvements have been made to meet ever-higher demands on their performance and to expand their application window beyond their original scope, mostly based on new resin formulations. Today, we also continue to push the limit to provide better...
Author(s) : Derek Muckle
A technical program has been undertaken to provide evidence on the suitability of polyethylene pipe and fitting systems for the distribution of hydrogen fuel gas. The underlying principle has been to evaluate material in the form of a pipe and to consider the performance of the pipe and of the welded jointing systems...
Author(s) : Paul J. Freudenthaler, Joerg Fischer, Mathias Eder, Reinhold W. Lang
For controlled water disinfection, typically chlorine is used and preliminary studies demonstrate its aging and crack growth acceleration effects on polyolefin pipe materials [1, 2]. Although the use of recycled plastics is not prohibited in some ISO standards for polyolefin piping systems [3–5], only small amounts...
Author(s) : Shuhei Nishida, Shintaro Iwasaki, Hidefumi Yamanaka, Takahiro Kasatani
Polyethylene pipelines have been used for natural gas service applications for over 40 years in Japan. It is thought that they will continue to be used widely for many years. Therefore, it is important to confirm the conditions of the existing pipelines being used for the long term. In this study, polyethylene pipes...
Author(s) : Ernst van der Stok
For PE 100-RC, two tests are still under development for pipes: the point load test (PLT) and the accelerated notch pipe test (aNPT). The PLT was developed by a project group consisting of manufacturers and end users. The PLT determines the resistance to point loads as they can occur in practice. An earlier study...
Author(s) : S. Nestelberger, J. Cheng
The Point Load Test (PLT) [ 1, 2] was designed to simulate the SCG (slow crack growth) failure initiated by a rock pressing into the exterior wall of a polymer pipe. Today’s PE materials sustain long PLT testing times, due to its high SCG resistance design. Consequently, an accelerated “PLT+” with the support...
Author(s) : Mario Messiha, Britta Gerets, Jan Heimink, Andreas Frank, Florian Arbeiter, Gerald Pinter
A majority of field failure of viscoelastic plastic pipes can be attributed to slow crack growth (SCG) and has become crucial in terms of characterization of newly developed materials – particularly, if they are designed for pressurized pipe applications. In this study, investigations in terms of SCG resistances...
Author(s) : Lukas Travnicek, Pavel Hutar, Jan Poduska, Andreas Frank, Florian Arbeiter, Jaroslav Kucera, Jiri Sadilek, Gerald Pinter, Lubos Nahlik
The application of recycled material in pressure piping systems has been considered lately – it was suggested, that the recycled polyethylene could be used as a part of a multilayer pipe together with virgin material. This type of pressure pipes is not availableon the market yet, so their properties can be only...
Author(s) : Ulrich Schulte, Dr. -Ing. Joachim Hessel
In order to protect the Austrian lakes effectively against the discharge of effluent, a 13 km long pressure pipeline made of high density polyethylene was laid on the bottom of Lake Ossiach back in 1971. The DN355 to DN200 pipes were produced from a first generation HDPE-compound. The classification would have been...
Author(s) : Argnani Claudio, Ing. Gianpaolo Contarini
...Clogging of the pipes can be experienced in sewer systems after a short period of service, due to the intrusion of roots from plants and trees. Plants, and in particular their roots, are attracted by the water flowing inside the pipes. These roots will strain the connections between pipes, in particular the sockets...
Author(s) : Justin Brandt, Mike Griffin, Tony Cuvo
As plastic pipe gains share in new markets and applications, additional joining methods add further value, enabling continued growth for plastic pipes. To date, definitions of a “fit-for-purpose” mechanical joint for High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pressure piping systems can vary significantly. As such, mechanical...
Author(s) : Mark Boerakker, Rudy Deblieck, a Harm Caelers, Arno Wilbers, Tine Boonen a DSM, Britta Gerets, Mirko Wenzel
Components made of plastic are facing ever-increasing demands with respect to their production, use and durability. This also holds for gas and drinking water pressure pipes made of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD), where service lifetimes of up to 50 years and in some cases even 100 years are required. One of the...
Author(s) : Andreas Frank, Mario Messiha, Günter Dreiling, Norbert Schuler, Jens-Martin Storheil, Erwin Mayrbäurl, Stuart Ramella, Frank Krause, Rudi Berning, Philippe Gabriëls, Alpay Aydemir, Thomas Koch, Florian Arbeiter, Gerald Pinter
The Cyclic Cracked Round Bar (CRB) Test has been applied to study the slow crack growth (SCG) resistance of virgin, recycled, and reprocessed PVC-U. This fracture mechanical test allows a quick ranking of the SCG resistance of PVC-U. A clear correlation between the K-value and the SCG resistance has been elaborated....
Author(s) : Patrick Campbell, Joanne Claronino, Shana Meeus, Joseph Sanders, David Chrystie-Lowe
Polyethylene (PE) potable water mains, with design life of 50 years (BS EN 12201), have been in widespread use in the UK water industry for more than 30 years. PE pipe is light, flexible and reliable in comparison with other pipe materials and the UK water industry has made a considerable investment in replacing...
Author(s) : Karel van Laarhoven, Andreas Moerman
Pipe failure in drinking water distribution networks occurs as a result of loadings on the pipe that exceeds its strength. Especially, pipes that deteriorate over time have an increasing probability of failure. Prediction models that estimate when a particular pipe will fail can therefore be valuable tools in pipe...
Author(s) : Britta Gerets, Mirko Wenzel, Kurt Engelsing
The strain hardening test (SHT, ISO 18488 [1]) becomes increasingly important for the characterization of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) grades and pipes made thereof. With regard to small pipe diameters, a smaller test specimen than the one defined in ISO 18488 has been developed. SHT results were demonstrated to...
Author(s) : Hermann van Laak, Jan Heimink, Mario Messiha, Andreas Frank, Christoph Bruckner, Thomas Kratochvilla
For high pressure pipes above maximum operation pressure of 10 bar, this paper emphasizes PA-U12 as the easy to install alternative to steel. It underlines the superb performance of PA-U12 pipes for alternative installation techniques without need for a separate mechanical protection. An unplasticized polyamide 12...
Author(s) : Yilaing He, Tianjun Zhang
A new electrofusion PE belt is developed by reinforcing it with various layers of steel mesh. It’s of sandwich structure, consisting of steel mesh reinforcement, heating wire and polyethylene. One or more layers of steel mesh is encapsulated in the middle, and heating wire is embedded onto “inner side” of the belt....
Author(s) : Thomas R. Kratochvilla, Raimund Eremiasch, Christoph Bruckner
In the last years effort has been made to develop and standardise new accelerated test methods to evaluate PE 100-RC materials in short times in form of test bars. The two most important developments, the cracked round bar test (CRB test) and the strain hardening test (SH test) were published as final ISO standards...
Author(s) : Markus Gall, Reinhold W. Lang, Joerg Fischer, Ansgar Niehoff, Steven Schmidt
Despite recent efforts in promoting the utilization of recycled polymeric materials for more diverse and more advanced applications, there are still significant knowledge gaps with regards to the applicability of certain recyclate types for specific “re-use” purposes. When it comes to pipe applications, for instance,...
Members of the Association
