TPT January 2012

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January 2012 63 ›
Technology Update
SABIC has launched the Vestolen A RELY
family of tough, sustainable bimodal high-
density polyethylene (HDPE) materials for
pressure pipe applications. The portfolio
offers converters energy savings and
enables environmentally responsible pipe
installation.
The company has also developed a new
strain hardening method, a fast and accurate
method for evaluating the slow crack growth
resistance behaviour of HDPE. This method
avoids the use of detergents that can pose
an environmental hazard, and avoids the
use of valuable drinking water.
“Our new SABIC® Vestolen A RELY
products in combination with the strain
hardening method – that measures their
performance – are key deliverables in
SABIC’s global strategy to supply the
pressure pipe industry with breakthrough
technologies,” said Jean Engels, business
manager HDPE SABIC. “SABIC takes
great pride in proactively developing
materials and methodologies that meet
current and emerging industry needs,
particularly in the areas of sustainability and
cost effectiveness. We also welcome new
partners who can help us drive development
of new pipe solutions utilising our high-
performance HDPE materials and extensive
technological resources and expertise.”
The first two grades within the Vestolen
A RELY range – one designed for low
sagging and the other engineered for high
resistance to slow crack growth – contribute
to the eco-responsible production and use
of pressure pipe. With these materials,
converters can reduce energy. Developers
and contractors can select trenchless pipe
installation such as guided boring and
horizontal directional drilling that reduce
impact on the environment.
Both new materials are classified as
PE100 grades, demonstrating compliance
with the highest industry standards for
HDPE pressure pipe.
Vestolen A RELY 5924R delivers low
sag performance for large-diameter pipes
and pressure pipes with a low standard
dimension ratio (SDR). This grade has an
internal pressure approval for PE 100 that
complies with the EN12201 and EN1555
standards, underscoring its quality and
performance for transporting potable water,
gas, sewage and other liquids.
Vestolen A RELY 5922R offers resistance
to slow crack growth propagation in high-
pressure pipe applications and can therefore
be used with advanced trenchless pipe
installation technologies such as re-lining,
horizontal directional drilling and guided
boring. Its resistance to slow crack growth
is demonstrated by results of the FNCT
(>8760h) and pipe notch test (>8760h,
DIN and ISO 13479). This grade also has
an internal pressure approval for PE 100,
meeting EN12201 and EN1555 standards.
The RELY products are produced at
SABIC’s state-of-the-art HDPE plant
in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, which
was designed to put less stress on the
environment than traditional facilities. The
plant cuts electricity usage by 8 per cent, air
emissions by 85 per cent and sewage by 50
per cent, and uses SABIC’s own proprietary
catalyst technology.
The primary slow crack growth resistance
testing methods for HDPE for pressure
pipes have had significant drawbacks,
including high cost, long durations of a year
or more and uncertain reliability. SABIC’s
new strain hardening method correlates
well to traditional methods that assess the
slow crack growth behaviour of HDPE. The
method is typically able to determine the
intrinsic slow crack growth behaviour via
a simple tensile test at 80°C. Advantages
of this test method are low measurement
variation, absence of surfactants and
notches, small amount of required testing
material (<50g) and testing times of only a
few hours.
The strain hardening method can be easily
implemented at accredited laboratories, and
the company anticipates that it will become
the standard for HDPE slow crack growth
testing.
SABIC Vestolen A RELY 5924R and
5922R are available globally. Additional
grades within the product line are due for
release in the near future.
SABIC – Saudi Arabia
Website:
SABIC Europe – The Netherlands
Fax: +31 46 7220000
Website:
Sustainability and performance in
HDPE pipe applications
THE Sheet Seeker® Fanner by Industrial
Magnetics Inc helps increase production
speeds by magnetically separating
oily, sticky or polished sheet stock,
thereby eliminating the difficult and time
consuming task of trying to manually pry
apart sheets in manual applications and
preventing “double-blanking” in automated
applications.
Up to 60 per cent lighter than standard
sheet fanners of the same fanning
strength, the Sheet Seeker’s powerful
magnetic circuit forces steel sheets apart
and automatically indexes with the stack
to ensure optimum fanning down to the
last sheet. Capable of fanning from 30
gauge sheets to 12 gauge plate, the
Sheet Seeker’s light-weight design and
convenient top-mounted carry handle allow
for user friendly transport within the facility.
IMI also has additional Sheet Fanner
models capable of handling both ferrous
or non-ferrous sheet stock, in a wide range
of sizes and gauges, utilising permanent
magnet, electromagnetic and air fanning
technology. More information can be found
on the online Sheet Seeker® Page, including
product options and order online capability
for many models.
Industrial Magnetics – USA
Email:
Website:
Eliminating double-blanking problems