Plastic Material for Pipeline Installations [PE]

The growing acceptance of polyethylene as a pipeline material is assessed against its background in relining applications. It is compared and contrasted with more traditional materials for water distribution and an attempt is made to introduce realistic cost comparisons taking into account the relevant technical merits. Finally a number of applications is cited for which the properties of polyethylene are of major importance. 

In Capper Neill Plastics a wide range of plastics materials is distributed ranging from P.V.C to A.B.S, polypropylene, polyethylene and others. Of the emerging plastics materials, polyethylene has proved to be one of great versatility and the material about which there is considerable interest from the water industry. It is for this reason that the bulk of this paper will describe applications for polyethylene and attempt to introduce cost comparisons with alternative materials.

Polyethylene has, of course, been used extensively in the gas industry for some years and has been successful in transporting a potentially hazardous fluid due to the leak-tight fusion welded jointing. Its flexibility and consequent serviceability have thrown great interest on the material for water pressure applications and others. It has, of course, already been used in its low density and high density forms for water house connections but the more recent modifications in the polymer structure have opened up wider uses for it. Its other properties, such as high impact strength and excellent chemical resistance have added to its attractiveness for a variety of applications.