HTLP60 Without the Epoxy?

     Question:  Is it acceptable to use HTLP60 shrink sleeves without using the epoxy?

     Answer:  Unfortunately, no.  The adhesive of the HTLP60 sleeve is specifically designed to require the epoxy to act as the bonding agent between the sleeve adhesive and the bare steel of the pipeline.  Without the epoxy, the adhesive will not achieve the desired bond strength.

     For some people this can be confusing.  Once upon a time (15 years go) there was a product called WPC60 which was VERY similar to the HTLP60 sleeve system; but didn't require any epoxy to be used.  It was a great product, it just wasn't used very often.  As a result; WPC60 was obsoleted way back when and in its place we recommend using the HTLP60 sleeve system. 

S-1301M Epoxy is used with HTLP60, DIRAX and other products.

     Don't worry though.  The S1301M epoxy is VERY easy to work with.  It is installed in a very thin layer and does not require the 'work' that stand alone epoxies require of your crew.  The strength and dependability of the coating system is also less reliant on installer skill as between the epoxy; the preheating and the shrink sleeve there are a number of systems in place to be sure even the most un-skilled laborers are able to properly and consistently install the HTLP60 sleeve system.
 
     If you're interested in seeing it for yourself, give us a call and we can arrange a demonstration right here at our facility!

FBE Pipeline Coating Repair

     So, your FBE coated pipe has some damage on it.  Don't panic, this happens all of the time!  It most likely wasn't damaged during the coating process (since it was jeeped at some point); but more likely there have been some minor damage that occurred while the pipe was being moved around or trucked across the state.  Fear not; we've got you covered.

A 5# pounds contains something in the neighborhood of 90-100 sticks.

Is this what the box you just finished looks like?  We've got more in stock.

    Now, these sticks are designed only to fix minor damage; preferably nothing more than pinholes.  If you have anything more significant (even something the size of a quarter or larger); we would always recommend that you install a shrink sleeve around the damaged area.  Just as shrink sleeves have successfully coated girth welds for the last 40 years; they can also repair a damaged pipeline coating.

     In order to recommend a shrink sleeve type; we'll need all of the typical information (found here) like operating temperature of the line; pipe outside diameter; size of the damage; etc.  All of those factors affect the price of course; but isn't spending $5 to properly fix a damaged area worth it?  You want to sleep at night don't you?  You want to finish this project knowing that you've done a good job, don't you?

     So, for pinhole sized damage on FBE coated pipe (which is more common than you might think), pick up a box of these FBE repair sticks.  If your damage is more significant; give me a call and I'll walk you through the different options we can offer. 

Shrink Sleeve Training / Certification

Question:  Do you offer some kind of training certification with regard to Raychem / Covalence heat shrink sleeves?

Have your crews been trained?  If not, give us a call.

Answer:  Absolutely.  We have just about 100 years of combined experience working exclusively working with Covalence heat shrinkable products (over the years; also called Raychem Pipeline Division; Raychem Ultratech, Raychem PPD, Chemelex, Berry Plastics, Covalence Raychem, Tyco Electronics and probably others!).  Within those 100 years of commitment to the Covalence product family, we have overseen hundreds of product training sessions and installation certifications. 

We have been present to kick off jobs.  We have given installation training in most of the 50 states (unfortunately, not Hawaii yet!).  We have certified installers of just about every size, shape and color. 

In addition, at our facilities here in Conroe, TX, we can arrange to give a broad range of training including multiple heat shrink sleeve types. 

Are you nervous that the pipeline crews you have may not properly install the shrink sleeves?  Give us a call.

Are you worried that the pipeline crews you're working with might repeat some of the most common mistakes while coating your pipeline?  Give us a call.

Are you worried that the crews may waste some of your money by not being as efficient as possible?  Give us a call.

We'd love to help!

How Do I Seal Up a Buried Flange?

     In the world of flanges; finding a way to properly seal a buried flange can be quite difficult.  There are some methods out there; but they are often messy and difficult.  Beyond that; what if you need to get back into that flange?  Allow me to introduce the Covalence Flangeseal. 

Covalence FlangeSeal

     Flangeseal is made from a high expansion, fiber sheet reinforced heat shrink sleeve.  It is built to bridge the large OD differentials between a flange OD and the pipe OD.  Coated with an aggressive mastic sealant; the Flangeseal (FS) bonds to all commonly used factory applied coating.  The Flangeseal also exhibits superior penetration and abrasion resistance thanks to the high density backing and the fiber sheet reinforcement. 

     In addition, the Flangeseal can be installed (if you choose) to be re-enterable.  In such a case; some cardboard (supplied) is wrapped around the bolt section of the flange and if necessary; the Flangeseal can be removed from that section using a sharp razor knife.  No need to pack the bolts with wax; no need for a messy pour of PU foam; no need for any of those awful; messy options.  The Flangeseal is here to make your life easier and reduce labor costs.  Call today for pricing:  we will need the OD of the flange and the OD of the pipe. 

Pipeline News Round Up 7/26/13

News of the Week in the Pipeline World

- Average annual salaries of Corrosion professionals in the United States has been released.  It is quite an interesting article.  In addition, I've heard often over the years that the next generation of corrosion experts just haven't been showing up as expected.  As an example - on average - a Corrosion professional in the US who has worked 1 year and has only a high school education is making ~$90,000 per year.  (Read more here).

- Enbridge Flanagan South project set to kick off.  (Read more here).

- Expect more rail car accidents and spills as production exceeds pipeline capacity forcing rail transport.  (Read more here).

- Illegal pipeline tapping results in explosion in Mexico. I've heard of this happening often in Africa, but this is the first time I've seen it in Mexico (though the article says it happens often; resulting in an amazingly large loss due to theft for Pemex each year).  Read more here.

- Poor quarterly results for El Paso.  Strange.  Read more here.

- Vermont Natural Gas looking to get permitting done for new Natural Gas pipeline.  People raise all kinds of silly complaints.  Read more here.

- Pemex plans 114 Km; 48" Pipeline.  Read more here.

Field Joint Coating for a 48" Pipe Road Bore

What do you do when you've got a 48" road bore and you 

are in charge of selecting the field joint coating material?  

     I recently had a call from a customer who had a real problem.  He was in charge of a directional drill involving a 48" OD pipe.  Due to some issues with the right of way; his staging area was very, very small.  He really only had enough room to weld and coat two joints of pipe at any given time.  As a result, they were going to be completing the bore in stages; pulling two joints of 48" pipe into the bore and then stopping while they welded and coated the next two joints.  After this; those two joints would go into the bore (4 total) then they would have to stop and weld/coat two more.

     This presents two major problems.  First; the starting and the stopping during the bore can put really extreme forces on the pipe; the factory applied coating and the field joint coating...especially with a 48" OD pipe!  A 48" OD pipe can weight anywhere between 190 and 250 pounds per FOOT.  That means that a 20 foot pipe joint weighs in at a whopping 3800-5000 pounds.  That is a heck of a burden for a field joint coating (or any coating) to bear! 

     The other problem is due to the minimal staging area; the contractor wasn't going to have time to wait for products to cure.  Imagine that they were using a liquid epoxy that required 16 hours to cure...they would only get two joints completed per day!! (possibly less if they ran into trouble with spray equipment / repairs / etc). 

DIRAX shrink sleeves - even a 48" OD pipe is no problem.

     Though these are pretty significant problems for most coatings; for the DIRAX it wasn't a problem at all.  DIRAX shrink sleeves have been used on 48" pipe in the past with no problems.  It is built exactly for those kinds of incredibly challenging applications.  Beyond that; though the DIRAX shrink sleeve system does utilize a liquid epoxy (S1301M) it doesn't have the same cure times that stand alone liquid epoxy pipeline coatings experience.  Thanks to the heat put into the pipe during the preheat and thanks to the heat put into the pipe during the sleeve installation; the epoxy has been largely cured by the time installation is completed.  No long wait times; no real problems...just one more seemingly complicated directionally drilling application that DIRAX heat shrink sleeve solves with no problem!

Do Covalence Shrink Sleeves Have a Shelf Life?

Read HERE to find out.

But - I would add that our EPOXY does have an expiration date - typically 1-2 years (all epoxy kits are marked).  This would include our S1301M epoxy, the essentially obsoleted S1239 epoxy and the S1401 epoxy most often used with HTLP-PP and PPS120 products. 

For specific questions; email us or give us a call.

TPSM Heat Shrink Sleeves Covalence / Raychem

     Once upon a time, the Raychem sales team in Europe came to R&D with a request.  They wanted to sell the TPS (tubular pipe sleeve) product in Europe (and elsewhere in the world) but they were running into some difficulties as TPS shrink sleeves are sized in inches and just about every other country in the world sizes pipe in millimeters (yes, we in America are WAY behind the times and too stubborn for our own good sometimes).  So, those folks in other parts of the world wanted a TPS sleeve that was sized in millimeters. 

The sleeve on the right is a TPS sleeve; very similar to a TPSM sleeve.

      Thus, TPSM (tubular pipe sleeve / millimeters) was born.  To further complicate things, they decided to further complicate things, product development also decided to make some minor tweaks to backing thickness and adhesive thickness.  But all that aside; when we do get a call for Covalence's TPSM product my first step is to try to determine if our TPS might be a suitable replacement (we stock it by the thousands).  I've generally found that TPS shrink sleeves have almost always been accepted where TPSM shrink sleeves were originally requested.

Heat Shrink Sleeves for Pre-Insulated Pipe

      The pre-insulated pipe market is enormous (world wide) and is the industry that feeds directly into the district heating and district cooling markets.  These aren't particularly common in the United States; but there is still a large chunk of business there.  This world is very, very different from the world of oil and gas pipelines. 

An example of some pre-insulated pipe.

     In this pre-insulated pipe world; shrink sleeves are used for two purposes:  a) to protect the pipe (be that uncoated pipe or the bare steel of a girth weld) and b) protect the insulation from water ingress which can destroy the insulation and absolutely demolish the effectiveness of the pipe.  To that end, I will focus on only two aspects here:  waterstops and jacket continuation.

     Waterstops

      Just as the name implies; waterstops are installed at the ends of the pipe in order to stop water from finding a path down the length of the pipe.  Even though the insulation looks like it is tight to the pipe in the above photo; it isn't.  There are leak paths all over the place.  If water gets in there, it can very often begin to eat away at the insulation.  If enough water gets in there, it could work its way down miles of pipeline, eating up the insulation just like pac-man eating up dots.  Waterstops insure that even IF a single joint of pipe is damaged (say the PE jacket is punctured and water can get in), that water will not be able to affect more than one joint of pipe.

     Our product that is most often used as a waterstop is called an IPEC.  It is a high expansion material made to bridge the sometimes large gap between the carrier pipe and the outermost PE jacket OD.  Simple and fast to install, it is the perfect product to give any preinsulated pipeline extra security.

Jacket Continuation

     In the above photo, picture the field joint that is created when two of those pipe joints are welded together.  There will be ~39 feet of insulation; then ~2 feet of bare steel; then another 39 feet of insulation.  To tackle that in the field, they often use foam half shells to insulate the newly created field joint (there are other options as well different types of PU foams).  Once they do whatever they are going to do there; they must find a way to 'continue' the outer PE which acts as the primary (actually the only) moisture barrier in this system.

     So what happens is that on the outside of the foam half shells; one of our shrink sleeves is installed that will span the entire field joint (sometimes two sleeves are used).  This sleeve acts as a bridge spanning from the PE jacket of one pipe joint to the PE jacket of the other pipe joint; thus creating a continuous jacket against moisture ingress.  Pretty simple really.  What ultimately happens is that the configuration of the main line (insulation / PE jacket) is recreated at the field joint; making the pipe coating and insulation consistent through out.  The product we sell most often for this application is our WPCT product (though we do sometimes use HTLP60 or WPC100M). 

     There are other products that sometimes find a fit in the pre-insulated pipe market as well; including DHEC, Flexclad and others.  That is one of the beautiful things about our product line, we have a tremendous amount of flexibility.  In our warehouse, we've got all the tools we need to engineer a solution for you!

Shrink Sleeves That Bond to Neoprene Rubber?

Question:  Do any of your sleeves bond to neoprene?

Answer:  Yes, we do have shrink sleeves that bond to neoprene.  It just isn't quite that simple though (it never is, is it?).  Let me give you an example.

     Within the last few weeks, I spoke with an engineer who was faced with an unusual application.  He had about 10 feet of neoprene coated pipe sitting down at the bottom of the ocean (this was just one small segment of the line).  This segment of pipe was going to see EXTREME pipe movements; as much as 10 feet of pipe movement (primarily from the current at that particular point).  This was the second time they had been forced to repair the line; previously the neoprene was worn completely off by the ocean floor in that particular section abrading away the neoprene.  We are talking thousands upon thousands of dollars here for this repair; so they were looking at just about any option available that might just give a little bit more life to the pipe (they had essentially accepted that they would be repairing it again in the future). 

     This was a TOUGH application.  Possibly the toughest I've ever heard of.  To top it off; they expected the line to operate at elevated temperatures.  So; the long and the short of it was - yes, I have something that would bond there; but I couldn't possibly predict how much life it will add to your line here.  In addition; we were talking about a 3 shrink sleeve order; something like $40.00 (large pipe diameter).  Certainly not enough money in a $40.00 order to justify any kind of a product evaluation or testing program! 

     So, yes we DO have products that will bond to neoprene.  Before we get any further though, let's talk about your application as 'bonding to' and 'doing what you want it to do' can be two very, very different things. 

Pipeline News Round-Up 7/18/13

News Round Up July 18, 2013

•       More and more I’ve seen news stories discussing end users’ decision to use rail transit to move oil and natural gas products.  I think I listed a story here recently of a California end user choosing rail rather than building a big, “risky” pipeline.  Well here is the flip side.  Train carrying oil crashes, explodes and kills 50.  A horrible, horrible tragedy.  (Read more here).

•      Independent report finds that Exxon pipeline rupture in Arkansas was caused by "outdated welding."  The line was originally built in the 1940's.  (Read more here).

•     Internal corrosion on a salt water line causes a burst on beautiful Catalina Island. (Read more here).

•     Article discussing investment prospects for a few pipeline companies.  (Read more here).

This is a test:

Bulk Roll Shrink Sleeves

     Occasionally it comes up; a customer is trying to either: a) save a few dollars or b) maintain a high level of flexibility because they have a rather complicated job (multiple pipe sizes and bends in a variety of smaller quantities).  So the question is asked:  can I buy this material in a bulk roll and cut it myself?

This is a 'bulk' roll of WPCT

     The simple answer is that YES, for most products; that is a viable option.  It gets just a little bit more complicated than that though; and here is why:

1. You will definitely need to purchase closures as a separate line item.  They are required for every shrink sleeve (as illustrated here).
2. When cutting the sleeves yourself, you must be certain that all cuts are single, continuous cuts.  A jagged edge on a shrink sleeve can sometimes result in the sleeve splitting during installation.  We have special equipment here to make sure this never happens with shrink sleeves that we cut.  You will absolutely have worse equipment to work with in the field than we have in our warehouse.
3. Bulk rolls are generally sold in 100 foot rolls.  Let's say you are working with 20" OD pipe.  The standard cut length on a shrink sleeve for a 20" pipe is 71" (the circumference of the pipe plus a few inches of overlap).  From your 100 foot roll of material; you will get 16 shrink sleeves designed for a 20" pipe (WPCT 20000-11 as one example).  You will also have a 'tailing' left over.  This tailing will be ~64" long; unusable on your 20" pipe (because it is too short).  By buying bulk rolls; you are going to end up with ~5 feet of wasted material for every roll you cut.  If your project requires 20 rolls of material; you are going to end up with ~100 feet of wasted material that will go straight into the garbage.  I buy and sell Covalence heat shrink sleeves by the truck load; so that 5 foot piece of material is something I can sell.  I can turn it into 5 shrink sleeves for a 2" pipe; or 3 shrink sleeves for a 4.5" pipe.  So, for you it is waste.  For me, it is still inventory.  As a result; something like this can take away all cost advantage that a customer got from buying bulk rolls in the first place!
4. Using bulk rolls in the field is MUCH harder than simply using a /UNI sleeve made by us.  You are taking a lot of risks and putting a lot of pressure on your field personnel for what turns out to be a very minimal gain.

     So, there just isn't a reason to purchase bulk rolls.  Even if there is an emergency at the job site and you have to have material today; we can always get large partials of material out same day to get a job started or keep a job going.  Always.  In addition; we keep many sizes of shrink sleeves here in stock at all times by the thousands.  Do yourself a favor.  Just buy the cut sleeves.

Shrink Sleeve Coatings for Riser Pipe

Question:  Which heat shrink sleeves should I use on a riser pipe?

Answer:  First let's discuss what a riser pipe is (for those who may not know).  I've heard 'riser pipe' used to describe a couple of different pipeline scenarios.  

A:  I see riser pipe most often referenced in an offshore scenario where we are talking about the area of the pipeline stretching from the sea bed up to the barge / rig / whatever.  In that case we are talking about a vertical pipeline as seen here (ignore the words as they don't mean anything for this discussion):

A very crude and exaggerated example of what a subsea riser pipe might look like.

     In a case like this; the riser pipe will be exposed to forces that a 'typical' pipeline will not see.  Since this pipeline is vertical it can be more prone to movement caused by currents, etc.  This riser pipe can be in a position to see more 'collisions' from materials floating in the sea and following the currents.  Particularly in she 'splash zone' - where the pipe will be subject to crashing waves; surface floating debris; and ever changing tides, this pipe is going to take a beating. 

     We do have heat shrink sleeves for exactly these riser pipe applications.  In general; we do not recommend using a mastic sealant but instead are more comfortable offering an adhesive based sleeve.  These sleeves will be unaffected by all of the forces mentioned above.  In fact; our ROCS product (which was originally called a Szar Shrink Sleeve) has been used often in such cases to excellent results. 

     Before we can offer ROCS, we would of course need more details about the pipeline.  We would need to know things like operating temperature; factory applied coatings; etc (as indicated here).  

B:  I have also heard 'riser pipe' used to describe the specific area where an onshore pipeline comes up out of the ground.  In such a case; it can be a uniquely complicated issue as the heat shrink sleeve needs to be one that can withstand a buried environment (subject to soil stresses) and must withstand a potentially 'sub sea' like environment (in terms of being immersed in standing water) and must also be able to withstand UV and black body temperatures caused by the sun (if in direct sunlight).  

     Those this does sound complicated; it really isn't.  Nearly all of our sleeves are designed to withstand all of those conditions.  The reason I can't say 'all' is that blackbody temperatures can reach the mid-high 100's (Fahrenheit) and that would exceed he operating temperature of a few of our sleeve options. 

     Just in case you just skipped to the bottom:  YES - we have shrink sleeves that are approved for use (and do a fantastic job) for riser pipe applications!

Yellow Shrink Sleeves

Question:  Do you stock or sell yellow shrink sleeves?

Our shrink sleeves are black in color; fully UV resistant.

VERSUS

Other shrink sleeves on the market are yellow

Answer:  NO!  We stock and sell ONLY Covalence (formerly Raychem) heat shrinkable sleeve products.  They have always been black and have never been yellow.  Covalence shrink sleeves have by far the longest, most successful use history on the market (in the world) today.  Why aren't you buying the better product??  I think you'll be surprised to find that with Covalance / Raychem you get a better, more proven product without even spending more for it!

How Many Closures Per Sleeve?

Question:  I have a customer who is going to purchase master rolls of heat shrink sleeve material and cut their own shrink sleeves to length.  How many closures strips ("WPCPIV") will they need per shrink sleeve that they cut?

Answer:  First I would say that this is certainly an option.  Sometimes it makes sense for someone to purchase bulk master roll of WPCT (available in 11", 17",24" and 34" widths with the nomenclatures: WPCT 11x300-roll; WPCT 17x300-roll; WPCT 24x100-roll and WPCT 34x150-roll).  A customer might choose to do this because they have many different pipe sizes and configurations and they would rather custom cut their sleeves instead of order the cut pieces from us.

In any case; the answer for this one is simple.  Any wrap around shrink sleeve requires ONE and only ONE closure strip (sometimes also called a zipper; a WPCP or a patch).

This is a closure.  One is required for every wrap around shrink sleeve.  WPCPIV

Wrap Around Shrink Sleeve VS Tubular Shrink Sleeve

     Question:  What are the advantages of using a wrap around shrink sleeve versus using a tubular shrink sleeve?

     Answer:  First of all, if tubular sleeves are a readily available option, then we must be talking about a pipeline that will operate at ambient temperatures.  We are able to offer higher temperature tubular sleeves; but it is an extremely rare occurance.

     Second, if tubes are a readily available option, we must be talking about a pipeline ranging from 2" to 10".  Tubes just aren't typically used on pipelines larger than 10".  Now, in my world; when we talk about  sleeves for an ambient temperature pipeline; we are talking about WPCT (as the wrap around) and TPS (as the tubular product).  

WPCT wrap around shrink sleeve on the left; TPS tubular shrink sleeve on the right

     WPCT style sleeves are often called "wrap around"; "shrink wraps"; "cigarette wraps" or "zipper sleeves".  They are (obviously) wrapped around the field joint AFTER the weld has been made (and after the weld area has cooled down below 250F).

     TPS style sleeves are often called "tubular sleeves"; "shrink tubes"; "sock type sleeves" or "slip on shrink sleeves".  They must be slipped onto the pipeline before the weld has been made (and really before the pipe has even been butted together).  The TPS shrink sleeve is then moved down the pipe so that it is far enough away from the weld to avoid weld spatter or excessive heat.  Once the weld has been completed and the pipe has cooled to below 250F; the TPS sleeve is slid back into place; centered over the weld and then the release paper is removed.  It is important to note that once the release paper is removed, it will be VERY difficult to relocate the TPS sleeve as it will be solidly stuck in place (the mastic is very aggressive).

     When considering the actual material make up (the actual components that make up the backing and the adhesive); WPCT heat shrink sleeves and TPS shrink sleeves are virtually identical.  Both uses an identical backing (though the TPS does have a slightly higher shrink ratio).  Both also utilize the same, aggressive, proven mastic sealant. 

     All of that to say; technically there is very little (if any) difference.  The TPS shrink sleeve must be slipped onto the pipe prior to welding (which does require some planning).  The WPCT sleeve does require the additional step of securing the closure (one extra step).  Otherwise; it is purely up to the end user.  Some prefer wraps; some prefer tubes.

Internal Field Joint Coatings

Question:  Does JSI currently have a product available that can be used to coat a field joint on the inside of a pipeline (internally) after the weld has been made?

Answer:  Unfortunately, no.  We do not carry (at the moment) and product designed for internally coating a pipeline; be that the field joint or the entire interior of the line.  As you might imagine, coating a pipe internally (particularly at the field joint; post weld) carries with it some complications that are not present when coating the exterior of a pipeline.

5 Signs You Might Need DIRAX

5 Signs That You Need DIRAX Shrink Sleeves

1. The pipe you're working with (or selling) is coated with Dual Layer FBE.  Dual Layer FBE is very often used on pipe that will be involved in a road bore or a directional drill.
2. The pipe you're working with or selling is coated with Powercrete or an ARO (abrasion resistant overcoat).  This will almost always mean that the pipe is going to be part of a road bore or directional drill.
3. You heard mention of "road bore", "directional drill", "directional crossing", "beach pull", "river crossing", "thrust bore" or "push bore".
4. You hear mention of "epoxy sleeves", "wear cone", "leader strip", "leading strip", "fiberglass sleeves" or "thrust bore kits".
5. You have an application where you know the pipeline coating will be required to withstand extreme forces, extreme soil stresses or significant abrasion and/or penetration forces.

How Much Coating Repair Material Will I Need?

     Question:  I have a PE coated pipeline.  I've been told to have repair material on site.  How much polyethylene repair material will I need?

     Answer:  Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for me to know!  There are so many different ways that a pipeline can be damaged and so many varying degrees that I cannot ever predict how much you will have on your pipeline.  As a couple examples; here are some photos of damaged PE that I've seen:

Damage to the PE jacket outside of insulation caused by improper pipe storage

Damage to a PE outer jacket.  notice that the ROCS sleeve is untouched just a few inches away

Another area of PE damaged by a forklift

     In the real world, it is possible that PE coated pipe is loaded on a barge and every single joint of pipe is damaged to some degree.  It is also possible that a pipe is loaded without a single joint being damaged.  There is never any way for me (or the customer) to really know. 

     That is one reason that we keep so much PERP material in stock.  Very often, it isn't known how much damage a pipe has received during transit until the pipe is actually being strung up and welded.  In cases like that, it is very simple for us to throw a few rolls of PERP material - and the accompanying Perp Filler rolls onto a truck (or UPS) and have them at the job site in a day or two.

     You don't want to have to buy materials that you don't really need.  I don't want to sell you materials that you don't really need.  The fact that we keep this material in stock assures that we both get what we want. 

How do I Seal a Casing Pipe?

    Question:  How do I seal between a casing pipe and a carrier pipe?

     Answer:  Every casing pipe that goes into the ground has to be sealed with something.  The reason for this is that the interior of the casing pipe is not coated.  If water and oxygen are present, that casing pipe will begin to corrode from the inside out.  Eventually, it will rust completely away and the casing will collapse on the carrier pipe (which could cause plenty of damage all on its own); and the carrier pipe will no longer be protected by a casing.

     That is where our Caseal comes in.  It is a high expansion, fiber reinforced, heat shrinkable sleeve with an incredibly aggressive mastic (this mastic will adhere to any commonly used factory applied pipeline coating).  The Caseal (casing seal) is designed to seal between the casing and carrier and offer excellent abrasion and penetration resistance to that casing; for the life of the casing.  The Caseal does NOT serve to keep the carrier pipe centered within the casing (you will need something else for that) but it does create a long lasting and reliable seal that will not suffer from cracking or drying out during the years it is in service. 

     Beyond that, the Caseal is a simple, easy and quick install requiring no special training or equipment (just a propane tank and a propane torch).  Whatever else you might be using to seal your casing; I promise, it cannot be this easy.

Can I Use WPCT on a Road Bore?

Question:  Can I use WPCT on a Road Bore?

Answer:  NO!!! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

     WPCT is not designed to withstand the tremendous forces associated with a road bore.  I could not recommend that.  The plant would not stand behind that.  I think this would be a mistake.  

     WPCT is ~3 mm thick if the backing is fully recovered.  DIRAX (our product designed for road bores - read more here) would be more than 7.5 mm thick on the front end - AND has a fiber mesh woven into the backing to offer even greater protection.

     I am aware that the cost difference between DIRAX and WPCT is significant, but this cost must be viewed in line with the cost associated with corrosion problems; with a pipeline leak or with repair costs.  Please, do yourself, your company, your pipeline -- and the neighbors of the pipeline a favor and use DIRAX on your directional drilling field joint coatings.

What is the Best Field Joint Coating?

     The business world we live in seems to focus primarily on one thing.  What is the cheapest thing that I can use?  This isn't always the case; and I am certainly being a bit unfair by saying that - but it is something I've seen again and again and again and again in the last 13 years (my time in the pipeline world).  For many decision makers; cost is all that matters: "buy whatever is cheapest...it's all the same." 

All Field Joint Coatings are NOT Created Equal

     So, when I do get the comment "I want whatever the best coating is - this pipeline is too valuable to scrimp on the field joint coatings" I tend to sit up and take notice.  Here is a person who cares about the future of this pipeline.  Here is a person who is committed to doing their best job possible; even if they are no longer with this company through the life of the line.  Here is a person with integrity.  Here is a person who cares about the long-term...not just about moving on to the next project or claiming that next promotion.

     In cases like this, where the request is for the "best" AND where we don't have an issue with elevated operating temperatures; the answer is clear.  The best possible field joint coating is ROCS.

The ROCS heat shrink sleeve system is absolutely unmatched in the coatings world.

     What you see here is a picture of the ROCS shrink sleeve.  The pattern you see is the fiber mesh (which is woven between two layers of HDPE, heat shrinkable backing.  The other side of this sleeve is a high shear adhesive.  All of this is installed on Covalence's S1301M liquid epoxy which chemically bonds with the adhesive of the ROCS shrink sleeve in order to form a truly cohesive field joint coating.

     Since the ROCS shrink sleeve system utilizes both a heat shrinkable sleeve and a liquid epoxy bonding agent; it literally offers the best of both worlds.  The liquid epoxy gives the coating system superior cathodic disbondment properties and sheer resistance.  The fiber reinforced shrink sleeve gives the coating system excellent electrical resistivity properties; superior abrasion resistance and fantastic penetration resistance. 

     Like all things in life; you get what you pay for.  The ROCS field joint coating system is expensive on the front end, during construction.  But the truth of the matter is that leaks, repairs and corrosion problems are incredibly expensive.  Taking a line out of service can cost almost a million dollars per day (as seen here).  There must be a point where 'cost' is not the number one factor when selecting a field joint coating; are we there yet?

Flexclad: Heat Shrinkable Tape

 Flexclad:  Heat Shrink Tape

Flexclad 100-15000/165 - a 4" x 50 ft roll of heat shrink tape

Flexclad heat shrinkable tape is used to coat small diameter pipe (less than 2"), bends, 

some fittings and occasionally, girth welds.  It offers all of the convenience of a cold applied

tape, with the technical superiority of a heat shrinkable sleeve.

Flexclad is available in rolls that are 50 feet long and in standard widths of 4", 3" and 2".

The Flexclad is shrunk around an already cleaned (and preheated) substrate.  The shrink tape

is then shrunk using a propane torch, forming what essentially becomes a continuous coating.  

We recommend that:

 2" Flexclad be used for pipe sizes under 8"

3" Flexclad be used for 8" and 10" pipe

4" Flexclad be used for pipe sizes 12" and larger

The truth is that any width Flexclad can be used with any substrate diameter.  They would all work 

fine, but the tape might not be used as 'efficiently' as it could be.  What I mean

by this is that using a 4" wide Flexclad on a 2" pipe will almost certainly result in 

a greater than necessary overlap (which means some material is "wasted").  

At the same time, using a 2" Flexclad on a 20" pipe would waste a LOT of material

as you'd get such a little amount of coverage per lap.

In any case , it is a great product with a long successful use history.