Shell Special Intensive Training Programme

4.0 NON-M METALLIC MATERIALS:

4.1: Main Categories

♦ Plastics

o Thermoplastics

o Thermosets

♦ Plastics composites

o flexible steel / polymer pipe

o reinforced pasties/glass reinforced plastic

o filled Protective coatings

♦ Rubbers and elastomers

o Natural rubber (NR) (soft)

o Styrene - butadiene rubber (SBR)

o Chloroprene rubber (CR)

o Butyl rubber

o Nitrile rubber (NBR)

o Ethylene propylene rubbers (EPM and EPDM)

o Urethane

o Chloro sulphonated polyethylene (CSM)

o Fluoro rubbers of polymethylenetype

♦ Paints and Coatings

o Painting

o pipeline external coating

o internal coatings for pipelines and downhole tubulars.

♦ Cements

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4.2 Application in EP operations

♦ Thermoplastics

o piping and fittings

o corrosion resistant liners for pipes, tanks and vessels

o application depends on creep, impact, chemical resistance and ageing

(degradation with time).

♦ Thermoplastic pipes mainly in domestic water and gas distribution. In some oil
companies for low-pressure applications such as water transport and some
gas gathering system. The main materials are PVC, polyethylene and
polypropylene. Strength is time dependent with failure occurring by creep so
pressure ratings must be based on long term product characterisation as
described in API - ISLE standard.

♦ Polyethylene (PE) liners for carbon steel pipe Polyethylene lined steel pipe
provides the corrosion resistance of PE with the strength of carbon steel. The
PE liner provides the corrosion-resistant fluid barrier while the steel provides
the strength. Major concern is ensuring liner stability, particularly on
depressurisation of the line.

Some liner collapses have been observed. Vent points are often incorporated in the
steel line at regular intervals to enable venting of gases, which permeate through the
PE liner and accumulate between it and the steel.

♦ Thermosets

o epoxides

o polyesters

o vinylesters

o furane resins

o applications for unreinforced thermosets include coatings and

encapsulation. They are used in combination with other materials to
reinforce them or modify their properties, examples are glass fibre

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reinforced plastics, Boron fibre reinforced plastics, coatings, filled

plastics for foams and polymer concretes.

♦ Flexible steel / polymer pipe:

o Inner thermoplastic pipe provides the containment and steel the

strength. The thermoplastic pipe alone cannot withstand the stresses
induced by pressure and mechanical loads, it is supported by several
sets of over-wrapped steel tendons. The typical construction is
completed by an external thermoplastic sheath, which protects the
steel reinforcement from the environment.

o Flexibles are used in both static and dynamic applications. They are
increasingly being used in O and G flow lines often buried. Flexibles
are used to avoid alignment problems in pipework and temporary
equipment connections.

♦ Reinforced plastics/glass reinforced plastic (GRP)

o GRP is used in piping, in fire resistance enclosures because GRP light

weight, ease of installation and resistance to electrochemical corrosion
and chemical attack. Its use is cost effective with low maintenance and
high reliability and safety. GRP will be good for offshore firewater
systems for more reading refer to API- 15HR (1988) and API - 15HR
(1990).

♦ Filled/Foamed plastics

o Resistance to long-term creep is an important feature in both

buoyancy and sub-sea thermal insulation application: collapse of the
foam increases its density and thermal conductivity, gas foamed
polymers are more susceptible to creep than glass based types. Gas
foams show a multiphase creep failure mechanism after apparently
stable low creep rates for significant periods the material can suddenly
show a marked increase in creep in which the cells partially collapse.

♦ Pipeline External Coatings:

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o These coatings include asphalt or coal tar enamel, asphalt mastics,

cold applied epoxy (e.g. coal tar) fusion bonded epoxy polyethylene,
polypropylene, plastic tape wrappings.

External pipeline coatings are used in conjunction with cathodic protection to control
external corrosion of sub sea and buried pipelines.

The main factors influencing coating performance are -

o moisture impermeability

o adhesion

o cohesion

o flexibility

o chemical and physical stability

o electrical resistance

o resistance to impact, weathering and cathodic disbondment

o proper surface preparation before application of coating

o priming and coating should be carried out as soon as possible after

surface preparation to avoid recontamination and rusting

o standard equipment should be used for coating pipelines.

♦ Internal Coatings for Pipelines and Downhole tubulars

o Beneficial to downhole tubulars since the localisation of the corrosion

damage reduces the likelihood of the tubing parting downhole on
retrieval during workover. Coating downhole tubulars may also enable
re-use after careful inspection, selection and recoating as deemed
necessary.

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