Applicability and Limitations of Current Life-Time Prediction Models for Thermoplastics Pipes Under Internal Pressure [PE]

Author(s) : Márton Bredács, Andreas Frank, Amaia Bastero, Alex Stolarz, Gerald Pinter

Accelerated aging experiments by the immersion of a commercial polyethylene (PE) pipe grade in 10 ppm of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and in 100 ppm of hypochlorite (HOCl) solution at 60 °C were performed. An additional immersion test was conducted in 1 ppm of ClO2 at 40 °C. The exposure parameters were continuously...

Author(s) : Gerald Pinter, Florian Arbeiter, Johannes Wiener, Andreas Frank, Otmar Kolednik

In order to further increase the fracture toughness of pipes, biomimetic layer design of the pipe wall can be used. Therein, soft polymer interlayers can act as crack-arresters in a matrix of stiffer and inherently more brittle polymers. The effectiveness of the crack arresting role of soft interlayers in a...

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,...

Author(s) : Mario Messiha, Andreas Frank, Isabelle J. Berger, Jan Heimink, Hermann van Laak, Florian Arbeiter, Gerald Pinter

Since the last decade polyamide 12 (PA12) has been successfully introduced as material for SDR 11 gas piping systems up to 18 bar, representing itself as an attractive alternative to steel pipes for high-pressure applications. Practical experience has confirmed that beside the higher strength, PA12 pipe grades also...

Author(s) : Joerg Fischer, Paul J. Freudenthaler, Patrick R. Bradler, Reinhold W. Lang, Susan C. Mantell

This research addresses the effect of nucleation on the global aging behavior and the fatigue crack growth (FCG) resistance of commercial alpha- and beta-nucleated polypropylene random copolymer pipe grades (PP-R) when exposed to chlorinated water (5 mg/l free chlorine) at an elevated temperature of 60°C. Comparing...

Author(s) : Joerg Fischer, Patrick R. Bradler, Reinhold W. Lang

In the present paper, a novel test system for conducting fatigue crack growth (FCG) experiments under superimposed mechanical-environmental conditions is presented. FCG experiments were performed on a polypropylene (PP) grade and a short-glass fiber reinforced polyamide 66 (PA-GF) grade as model materials. The...

Author(s) : 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...

Author(s) : Pavel Hutar, Jan Poduska, Pavol Dlhy, Andreas Frank, Jaroslav Kucera, Jiri Sadilek, Gerald Pinter, Lubos Nahlik

This paper investigates possible use of recycled material as a part of a multilayer polyethylene pressure pipe system. Crack propagation in different configurations is simulated. Lifetimes of pipes containing recycled material are calculated. Results are compared with lifetimes of pipes made of virgin...

Author(s) : Andreas Frank, Isabelle J. Berger, Mario Messiha, Carl-Gustaf Ek, Norbert Schuler, Jens-Martin Storheil, Erwin Mayrbäurl, Steve Heeley, Frank Krause, Lodewijk Niemöller, Philippe Gabriëls, Yogesh S. Deshmukh, Florian Arbeiter, Thomas Koch, Gerald Pinter

In order to improve the circular economy of polymers in terms of sustainability and reduced carbon footprint, the increased use of recyclates has become a topic of major importance. Due to their long design lifetimes, pipe applications represent an excellent opportunity to create added value to non-virgin polymers. In...

Author(s) : Joerg Fischer, Paul J. Freudenthaler, Patrick R. Bradler, Reinhold W. Lang

Cyclic tests with cracked round bar (CRB) specimens have been used for some time to characterize the slow crack growth behavior of polyolefin pipe grade materials. In fact, most recently a standardized test procedure for cyclic CRB testing has been released in ISO 18489. To obtain kinetic data for cyclic crack growth...

Author(s) : G. Pinter, F. Arbeiter, A. Frank

The cyclic cracked round bar test has recently been added as a full-fledged ISO standard (ISO 18489) for comparison of polyethylene pipe grade materials’ slow crack growth resistance. However, possibilities of this test are yet far from being exhausted. Seeing, that polyethylene is only used in approximately 30% of...

Author(s) : Joerg Fischer, Patrick R. Bradler, Reinhold W. Lang, Gernot M. Wallner

The present paper aims to study the crack growth resistance of a black-pigmented polypropylene pipe grade when exposed to elevated temperatures and various environmental media (air, deionized water, ionized water with a specific chloride content, and chlorinated water) under the simultaneous application of cyclic...

Author(s) : Márton Bredács, Anita Redhead, Andreas Frank, Amaia Bastero, Gerald Pinter

To maintain the high quality of potable water chlorine based disinfectants are frequently dosed into the drinking water network. Considering the oxidative nature of these species their long-term impact on the aging of polyolefin pipes is a matter of interest. In this study four polyolefin pipe grades were objected to...

Author(s) : Andreas Frank, Isabelle J. Berger, Florian Arbeiter, Pavel Hutař, Gerald Pinter

Due to the high slow crack growth resistance of modern polyethylene pipe grades a reliable lifetime assessment of pipes with focus on stage II failure has become challenging. The current paper presents a scientific approach for a fracture mechanics lifetime prediction based on Cyclic Cracked Round Bar (CRB) Tests....

Author(s) : Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. mont. Gerald PINTER, DI Florian ARBEITER

Applying scientifically well established and investigated linear fracture mechanic methods (LEFM) the kinetics of the slow crack growth (SCG) on polypropylene layers and coextruded interfaces on multi-layer-pipes could be investigated. Taking effects of ageing and stress relaxation during the service lifetime into...

Author(s) : Reinhold W. Lang, Patrick R. Bradler, Joerg Fischer, Dominik Poehlmann, Steven Schmidt, Ansgar Niehoff

In the present paper, a highly effective test and characterization concept for polymer recyclate materials is proposed and validated. Based on the proposed methods, a study was carried out to investigate the potential of in-plant and post-use PE recyclates from various applications to be utilized in PE recyclate...

Author(s) : Pavel Hutař, Jan Poduška, Jaroslav Kučera, Eva Nezbedová, Andreas Frank, Jiří Sadílek, Gerald Pinter

Residual stresses can significantly influence the lifetime of polymer pipes. Therefore, realistic estimation of residual hoop stress can contribute to accurate lifetime estimations. The previously used “accurate method” is quite time consuming and needs a lot of specimens to be prepared and treated. A simplified...

Author(s) : Andreas Frank, Isabelle J. Berger, Florian Arbeiter, Gerald Pinter

During the past years the Cyclic Cracked Round Bar (CRB) Test has been developed and meanwhile standardized as a new and modern test method for a quick material ranking of polyethylene pipe grades by their resistance against slow crack growth (SCG). As an additional benefit this test method allows a very precise...

Author(s) : Gerald Pinter, Florian Arbeiter, Isabelle J. Berger, Andreas Frank

An extrapolation to static conditions for an accelerated fracture mechanics lifetime prediction of pressurized polyethylene pipes was conducted. The main objective of the current paper was to correlate predicted pipe lifetimes to real failure times determined with internal pipe pressure tests and to study the...

Author(s) : P. F. Schoeffl, R.W. Lang

To accommodate the recent industrial interests to utilize PE-HD pipes for oil field applications (e.g. injection water pipes, flow lines), this paper introduces a “fully integrated test concept” to allow a comprehensive pipe lifetime prediction under severe environmental conditions. Moreover, experimental set-ups and...