Can Raychem Heat Shrink Sleeve WPC100M be applied on a three coat system?

Can WPC100M be used with a three layer coating?

(as asked here)

     Short Answer:  YES (thank you for the question Mr. Aizat)

     Longer Answer:  WPC100M is fully compatible with a three layer coating (I am assuming here that what you mean by a "three coat system" is a factory applied coating which includes a layer of epoxy (most often FBE) followed by a layer of adhesive and ending with an outer layer of a polyethylene.  

     The mastic sealant of the WPC100M is designed to bond to polyethylene.  As evidence:  When you receive a WPC100M shrink sleeve out of the box; well, the mastic sealant has already bonded to a PE (the sleeve backing itself!).  In addition, the mastic is designed to wrap around the pipeline and bond to the the backing of the WPC100M sleeve (as the 'cigarette wrap is formed)!  The simple fact is the WPC100M mastic sealant is an aggressive mastic designed to bond well to all commonly used factory applied pipeline coatings (and has a long use history).

     That being said, ultimately whether a field joint coating is approved or not is decided by the owner of the pipeline (or the engineer who they've hired to write their specifications).  In my opinion; proven out by my experience; the WPC100M would be an excellent field joint coating for a three layer polyethylene coated pipe (TLPE).  It would work well there - and has worked in hundreds of thousands of other cases - and it would provide excellent long term protection of that field join just as the data sheet indicates it would.

     BUT - in some cases, a pipeline owner company has selected a three layer factory applied coating (and paid the significant expense to get a three layer factory applied coating) for a very specific reason.  They have selected that coating because they want a pipeline coating that offers the BEST of all worlds.  They want all of the strengths of an epoxy coating (CD resistance, high shear values) AND all of the strengths of a PE coating (abrasion resistance, electrical resistivity, penetration resistance, peel values).  

     In those cases, it is possible that the specification will require a similar coating system on the field joint.  This could be accomplished in a number of ways and would include simply using the Raychem S1301M epoxy as the initial field joint coating; with a WPC100M shrink sleeve installed over the top of it.  This would essentially recreate that three layer coating on the field joint.  Other options could be our HTLP coating systems (which also utilize the S1301M epoxy underneath an HTLP60 or HTLP80 shrink sleeve - again - recreating a three layer coating system on the field joint). 

     In cases where a pipeline is being installed offshore, and liquid epoxies (due to cure time / etc) are not really conducive.  I've seen many, many cases where a WPC100M shrink sleeve was installed as the field joint coating on three layer coated pipeline with outstanding results.  

     All of that to say - YES - WPC100M can be used with three layer coated pipe (and it has been done often) - but I cannot speak to any specific pipeline project without seeing the specification for the pipeline project myself!

     Thank you for the question!

      

DIRAX Heat Shrink Sleeves / DIREX Heat Shrink Sleeves

DIRAX Heat Shrink Sleeves / DIREX Heat Shrink Sleeves

Frequently Asked Questions about Dirax Shrink Sleeves

Q:  Is it DIRAX or DIREX?

A:  The correct nomenclature is DIRAX - but I've seen DIREX written many, many times on inquiries, purchase orders and even on specifications!

Q:  Do we have to use the S-1301M epoxy with the DIRAX sleeves?  Can we use only the sleeve?

A:  No.  The S-1301M must be used or the sleeve won’t bond properly to the pipe.

Q:  Will we receive enough epoxy to successfully install all of the DIRAX sleeves?
A:  Yes. If the contractor is organized and has the proper number of field joints welded, cleaned and prepared for coating before the epoxy kit is mixed.  There are often unforeseen events that may lead to extra epoxy being needed.

Q: Do we need to wait until the epoxy cures to install the sleeve?

A:  No.  Install the sleeve over the wet epoxy.  The sleeve and epoxy are designed to work together.

Q: Do you have any tips for most efficiently using the epoxy?

A: Yes.  Be sure you are properly preheating the pipe.  This will allow you to put the epoxy on in a very thin coat (which is how it is supposed to work) and avoid wasting epoxy.

Q:  It is cold outside and the epoxy is very, very difficult to mix.  Is this normal?

A:  In cold weather, the epoxy does get thick.  We recommend storing the epoxy in a truck or building so that it doesn’t get so cold. 

Q:  We ran out of epoxy and need some immediately, can you overnight it to us?

A:  No.  The epoxy is a hazardous material and is not packaged in a way that allows overnight shipments.  We can ship via freight truck or via UPS ground.

Q:  How long do we have to wait before we can begin the bore/pull?

A:  The epoxy layer of the sleeve must be cured and the sleeve must be cool before pulling.  This typically occurs within 20-30 minutes but since cure times are greatly influenced by ambient weather conditions, only the people onsite can determine when exactly the epoxy cures.

Q:  Do we put epoxy on the steel and the FBE/ARO? 

A:  Yes.  The epoxy needs to be everywhere that the sleeve will be (and the leader strip which is the 3” wide sleeve).  The only possible exception is when you are working with PE coated pipe.

Q:  Do we wrap the sleeves around the pipe snugly or with a large ‘gap’ underneath the pipe?

A:  Wrap the sleeve snugly.

 

Q:  Is there a limit to how large of a pipeline can use DIRAX?

A:  No there is not.  We’ve had extensive evaluations in the past on lines as large as 42” and the DIRAX sleeve survived the bore with flying colors

Q:  What are the standard widths of DIRAX and which one should we get?

A:  Standards are 12”, 17” and 24”.  At a minimum, we recommend that a sleeve be wide enough to coat all bare steel and overlap onto adjacent factory applied coating by at least 2” per side.  Some end users specify that the overlap onto adjacent factory applied coatings must be at least 3”, 4”or even 6” per side. 

Protal 7200 - How Do I Reduce Waste?

5 Ways to Get More From a Liter of Protal 7200 Paint On Epoxy Pipeline Coating

     Every epoxy manufacturer our there will tell you to anticipate as much as a 35% waste factor when calculating how much two part epoxy you will need for your pipeline coating job (see a usage chart here).  This can be a hard pill to swallow!  If you're paying $40 or more per liter, 35% can quickly add up to an astounding number! (On a quick side note, if you're paying $40 per liter, please give us a call the next time you need a liquid epoxy pipeline coating because you are not buying through the proper channels!).  

     So in this article, I'm going to be discussing some of the ways you can maximize that liter of Protal 7200 and maybe even get your wastage number down to a less painful level.  There will always be SOME waste, that is just the nature of liquid epoxies given that they do have a limited pot life due to their curing nature.

1. BE ORGANIZED

     The biggest danger to waste (ie - Protal 7200 epoxy curing in the can; unused) is down time.  Anyone who has ever been on a pipeline spread knows that there is going to be down time.  But we've got to minimize it as much as we can.  As an example, if you're going to be coating field joints on a 12" pipe (in this case: not a road bore), then in a perfect world you are hoping to get 3 field joints coated with each Liter of Protal 7200.  So, before you even open the lid on that 1 Liter kit of Protal 7200; you'd better be absolutely CERTAIN that you've got 3 field joints welded; preheated and cleaned.  Otherwise, you're just giving your money away.  I'll repeat:  THREE FIELD JOINTS READY TO GO before you even pop the lid on that Protal kit.  

 2. Control The Pipe Temperature 

      After the pipe has been welded, preheated and blasted clean (proper surface preparation is vitally important prior to applying any pipeline coating), there is probably going to be SOME temperature to that steel that is higher than the ambient weather conditions.  Here is the interesting thing about epoxies:  Their 'thickness' is going to vary depending on temperature; very much like honey.  Picture a cold morning: you're eating your breakfast outside at deer camp.  You reach over to where the honey sat on a table all night and it is COLD (say 40 degrees F).  You turn up the honey and....nothing.  It isn't flowing at all.  You squeeze the tube and find that it is hard to squeeze!  You've practically got a block of cement in there!.

     Now picture the same thing, but the weather is different.  It is a HOT, HOT Houston summer afternoon and that honey has been sitting in the sun all day.  You tip up the honey and it pours out faster than you can blink; spilling all over your plate.  Now you've got a mess on your hands!  

     In any case, you can control (to some degree) what the temperature of your pipe is when you begin brushing on the Protal 7200.  If you start applying it when the pipe is 190F, the epoxy is going to get very thin.  The epoxy is going to run off the pipe faster than you can work it and you're going to end up with a patch of ground that is the color of Protal 7200. Pipe too hot = high waste factor as epoxy ends up running down on the ground.

     If, on the other hand, you've got a pipe that is COLD to the touch (say 75F - quick disclaimer - installing on a hunk of 75F steel would not be recommended) then the Protal 7200 is going to go on VERY thick.  It won't hardly move at all, which means it is difficult to work, which means the pot stays full longer and means that your coating thickness is probably going to significantly exceed the thickness required in the specification.  Longer install time (due to cold pipe) = waste factor as Protal cures in the pot.  A single coat that is drastically thicker than what is required in the specification = waste as you're putting 60 mils on a field joint instead of the required 25 mils (50% waste!). 

3.  Use a Wet Film Gauge

Having one of these on site can ultimately save you a LOT of money!

      This builds just a little bit on the last point.  If you want to minimize your waste with the Protal 7200, you absolutely MUST know two things:  1.  What is the specification thickness required and 2. How thick am I putting it on?  If you don't know two things; you've got a lot of problems - and waste is only one of them.

     So, every crew needs to have a wet film gauge.  If the spec calls for 25 mils; there is no reason to be putting on 60 mils.  I know it sounds simple, but there are a lot crews out there wasting large amounts of epoxy because they don't have a way to measure their work!  Insanity!  Say you can buy a wet film gauge for $15.  That wet film gauge will last FOREVER as long as you don't lose it (and as long as you wipe it off after every use).  That wet film gauge might pay for itself over the course of 2 Liters of Protal 7200!!!  Imagine the savings it could offer on a project where 15,000 Liters are used!  Such a simple thing.  Such a fantastic investment.  Why aren't you buying a box of wet film gauges for every project?

4.  Mix Carefully, Thoroughly, Evenly and Quickly

      Anytime you're working with Protal (or any epoxy) you need to be sure you're mixing properly.  If you don't mix evenly; you are probably going to get a different (sometimes significantly) pot life than projected.  This can cause all kind of problems.  In addition you want to make sure you are not mixing in a way that fills your epoxy with air bubbles - boy will that slow down a job - resulting in epoxy curing in cans - wasting your money.  At the same time though, you need to mix that Protal quickly!  Mixing for 15 minutes instead of 10 has just wasted 5 minutes of your pot life.  Now you're going to have to work quick.

5.  Get Your Crews Trained!!

     All of these points that I've listed would be covered in a training session.  Yes, sometimes a training session costs money (it all depends on job size, location, notice, length, etc).  But those training costs (if you even had to pay them) truly pay for themselves over the course of a pipeline job.  Better trained crews absolutely lead to less Protal waste.  Better trained crews lead to fewer repairs (and fewer repair costs).  Better trained crews lead to faster field joint coating time (which means less labor cost).  Better trained crews leads to fewer problems with inspectors (which means less labor and less repair costs). 

     Getting your crews properly trained is beneficial on every single level.  So put in that phone call today.  Ask if your next project can kick off with some product training.  It will more than pay for itself in the long run. 

Protal 7200 Coverage Calculator

Protal 7200 Coverage Chart

     A couple of disclaimers first:  There are many factors that will determine how many field joints can be coated with a liter of Protal 7200 epoxy.  Like all epoxies, the ambient temperatures will play a role (the hotter it is outside, the hotter the pipe is etc, the faster the epoxy will cure).  In addition, humidity, properly mixing both components of epoxy and the temperature of the epoxy itself will play a role in determining cure time.  Cure time can be directly translated into pot life (for the most part) and pot life is likely going to determine how many field joints can be coated with Protal 7200 more than actual epoxy volume will (at least where smaller pipe diameters are concerned). 

     For that reason, most all epoxies manufacturers out there (if they are being honest) will advise that people using liquid epoxy coatings for pipelines figure in 25-35% 'wastage'.  This is found mostly in the epoxy that is left partially cured in the bucket.  Part of that 25-35% is ultimately found on the ground beneath the field joint.  So for all of those reasons - this chart is to be taken with a large grain of salt. 

     In tomorrow's article, I will discuss further how to maximize your efficiency with Protal 7200 epoxy usage.  Again:  for smaller pipe diameters, I think this chart is just a little bit too 'optimistic'.

Protal 7200 in a 1 Liter Kit (the most commonly used size)

Protal 7200 Weld Joint Coverage

with Standard FBE Cutbacks (2-3" per side)

4.5" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 9 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

6.625" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 6 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

8.625" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coatas many as 4.5 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

10.750" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 3.6 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

12.750" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 3 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

16.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 2.25 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

20.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1.8 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

24.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1.5 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

30.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1.2 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

36.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

42.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 an coat as many as .86 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

48.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 an coat as many as .75 field joints in a 25-30 mil thickness

4.5" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 4.5 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

6.625" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 3  field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

8.625" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 2.25 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

10.750" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1.8 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

12.750" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1.5 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

16.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as 1.125 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

20.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as .9 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

24.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as .75 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

30.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as .6 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

36.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as .5 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

42.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as .43 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

48.0" OD ----- 1 Liter of Protal 7200 can coat as many as .375 field joints in a 45-60 mil thickness

Heat Shrink Sleeves: Does Size Matter?

 Heat Shrink Sleeves

It is a question that every pipeliner has probably asked himself at one time or another:  

Does size matter?

It may pain you to hear this...but YES.  Size matters a great deal.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard a frustrated sigh on the other end of the telephone when I've asked how big something is.  They are annoyed at being asked....I get it.  But, unfortunately, I don't have an option.  I have to ask how big it is; otherwise I won't be able to help you.

Of course what I'm referring to here is one of several things:

- What is the actual OD (outside diameter) of your Flange? 

(this one is almost always met with a frustrated sigh)

- What is the OD of your Casing Pipe - and what is the OD of the Carrier Pipe?

- What is the OD of your pipeline?

- What is the size of your cable?

- What is the size of the anode you're working with?

- What is the size of your connector?

- What is the size of the coupling?

- What is the size of your duct work?

- What is the size of the 'bell' end of your pipe?

- What is the size of the bell on your Zap-Lock pipe?

- What is the size of the biggest end on your ductile iron pipe?

Heat shrinkable sleeves are designed to either WRAP AROUND a substrate; or they are designed to SLIP ON to a substrate.  In any case, we always need to know the largest dimension that the heat shrink sleeve needs to fit around.  If I sell you a shrink sleeve designed to work with an 8.625" pipe; but you actually have a 12.75" pipe; those sleeves are not going to work and you're going to have a big field problem.

If I sell you a Flangeseal designed to wrap around a flange with an OD of 18" and your flange actually has a 30" OD; you are going to have a big problem (it won't work!). 

When dealing with coatings in my world; I absolutely need to know everything that I can about the pipeline to insure that I'm quoting you a product that will do what we expect it to do on your pipeline.  Please be sure you have sizing information available.  If not, yours will likely be the next exasperated sigh that I hear.

Powercrete J Epoxy

Powercrete J Epoxy

Powercrete J is a girth weld coating for FBE and CTE coated pipes.  Powercrete J is a 100% solids liquid epoxy that coats, repairs and rehabilitates pipelines operating at maximum temperatures up to 55°C (130°F) and other metal structures.  This two component, solvent-free epoxy can easily achieve a dry film thickness of up to 20 mils in a single coat. Powercrete J provides versatility as it can be easily applied by hand or spray application.

Powercrete J is available in 2#, 4# and 10# kits.

Covalence Shrink Sleeves Product Spotlight

Covalence heat shrinkable products (formerly Raychem) have been the premier heat shrinkable product on the market for many years.  With a wide range of products (only 3 listed below), each designed for specific pipeline conditions. 

WPCT

A wrap around shrink sleeve designed for use on pipelines operating at ambient temperatures.  Available in 11”, 17”, 24” and 34” widths.

TPS

 Supplied as a tube (slip on) TPS is also designed for use on ambient temperature pipelines.  Available for pipe sizes 2.375” thru 8.625” (OD).

DIRAX

 Fiber reinforced, three layer sleeve specifically for road bores and directional drilling applications.  Standard widths are 12”, 17” and 24”.

Pipeline Coating Supply

     Joint Specialists is always on the look out for new ways that we can help our customers.  To that end, we are always trying to find new product lines and coating technologies to represent.  We are a trusted name in pipeline coatings.  We work hard to be technically proficient with pipeline coatings.  We work hard to engineer solutions for our customers.  We understand that our reliability, our good customer service and our willingness to inventory material has our customers wishing we would take on more product lines to make their lives simpler.  Below, see our latest line sheet.  Have you been buying some of those brands elsewhere?

     As you'll see, we are now your premiere source for all of your corrosion protection and sealing needs.  Look no farther, if you have questions about pipeline coatings; we are ready, willing and able to help you figure out what you need. 

Heat Shrink Sleeves for Pipelines

     Heat shrink technology has been around for decades.  In that time, there have been many, many different applications and uses for it.  This has ranged from factory electrical uses (read more here) to telecommunications, to heat tracing to the corrosion prevention of pipelines.  Pipeline corrosion prevention is what we will be discussing here. 

Example of a bare field joint on a Three Layer PE (TLPE) coated pipeline.

     Pipelines are generally built in 40 foot segments (you've probably seen a pipe truck loaded with 40 foot joints of pipe driving down the freeway before).  Those pipe joints are coated in a plant; with the most commonly used pipe coating in the United States being FBE.  When these pipe joints are coated in the plant, a small space is left uncoated at the end of each pipe joint.  This is called the 'cutback'.  The cutbacks are there because as the pipe joints are ultimately welded together; any coating right at the ends of that pipe would be damaged during the welding process anyway. 

     So once the pipeline is welded together; what is left (in terms of coating) is essentially: 39.5 feet of factory applied FBE; then 6" of bare steel; then 39.5 feet of factory applied FBE; then 6" of bare steel; then 39.5 feet of factory applied FBE; then 6" of bare steel; etc. 

     This is (of course) a pretty large problem.  Bare steel can corrode very quickly when buried, subsea or even above ground.  A coating has to be put on that field joint (or girth weld).  That is where heat shrinkable sleeves come into the picture as one very commonly and successfully used solution.  As you would expect, we have a variety of options in terms of material types; all designed for different pipeline conditions, temperatures and applications (for a list of the different shrink sleeve coating options we have, see here).

Ray the Raychem Seal - Raychem Heat Shrink

     Ahhhhh, who remembers the 1970's? Bellbottom jeans; disco dancing; The Brady Bunch, Charlie's Angels, Happy Days.....and Ray the Raychem Seal?  Once upon a time, the Raychem Corporation was a company that was beginning to conquer the world.  This meant they were experiencing dramatic growth and regularly entering new markets with new products.  Research and development were being heavily invested in.  Marketing gurus were looking for new and innovative ways to create a buzz around the product and introduce new product lines.  One of their wonderful creations was Ray the Raychem Seal.

     Today, I stumbled across an old video of Ray the Raychem Seal on youtube.  What a find!  So, grab your coffee, sit back and enjoy this mornings brush with greatness!
 

(I couldn't imbed the video - click HERE to view it on Youtube)

Does Pipeline Operating Temperature Affect Heat Shrink Sleeve Selection

Does Pipeline Operating Temperature Affect 

Heat Shrink Sleeve Selection

     Question:  What is the relationship between pipeline operating temperatures and heat shrink sleeve selection?

     Answer:  It is probably the most important bit of information to have when selecting a pipeline coating!  We have a long line of products designed for many, many different pipeline applications and one of the primary factors that separates them is operating temperature.  

     I would say that knowing the operating temperature of the pipeline is the 'first line of defense' when selecting a pipeline coating.  If the pipeline is going to be operating at ambient temperature, there will really be no limitations.  If, however, the line will operate at some elevated temperature; say 110C (over 220F) then we can immediately exclude many of our products as possible candidates here.  When we reach those sorts of extreme temperatures, our selection pool is limited to just one or two different products. 

     To state it as simply as possible, every heat shrink sleeve (that is used for pipeline coatings anyway) utilizes a sealant of some kind.  This sealant could be a mastic (soft and stick) or it could be a hot melt adhesive (hard to the touch); in either case that sealant will have a softening point.  The softening point is the temperature at which that sealant begins to 'flow' or at least lose some of its strength.  A shrink sleeve that is operating at a temperature HIGHER than it was designed for (or higher than the softening point of the mastic) is not going to exhibit very good physical properties.  For the sake of example, say you have a heat shrink sleeve designed to be used on a pipeline operating at 100F - and say you have installed that shrink sleeve on a pipeline operating at 250F.  That sleeve is not going to perform like the data sheet says it should perform - because it has been used improperly. 

     It is a question that I've asked thousands of times in my Joint Specialists career:  'do you know what the operating temperature?', 'is that a hot line?', 'what is the operating temperature?', etc.  Almost every time, I'm greeted with stunned silence.  About half the time the response I get is "huh?"  Every time, there is surprise on the other end of the telephone as if to say "what do you need to know that for?"  Well, if you've read this little article, you now know exactly why I need that bit of information.

Heat Shrink Sleeve Installation Tip #2

Heat Shrink Sleeve Installation Tip #2:  

Proper Surface Preparation is Imperative

In case you missed it, Tip #1 (to do with proper pre-heat) can be found here.

     How important is surface preparation (substrate cleanliness) during a heat shrink sleeve installation?  It is absolutely imperative.  Picture this:  your entire arm is covered in mud and you see that you've got a little scrape just near your elbow.  You get a band aid out of your pack and put it in place...right there on top of the mud.  How well is that bandaid going to bond to your skin?  Right - it isn't going to bond at all.  It is probably laying on the ground within five seconds!

     Coatings of any kind require a clean surface.  For any coating; be that a fusion bond epoxy on your patio furniture, a bumper sticker on your car, a coat of paint on a fence, or a coating on the field joint coating of your billion dollar pipeline -- a coating is only as strong as its weakest link.  In the example above (band aid in mud) - the weakest link is going to be the bond between the mud and the band aid.  There will be no bond as gravity alone will probably displace the band aid.  

     So when looking at coating a pipeline, both the steel and the adjacent factory applied coating absolutely must be cleaned to whatever standard is required by the manufacturer.  In some cases (stand along liquid epoxies like Powercrete J) the surface preparation will require that the pipe be cleaned with a specific anchor pattern.  Other coatings might simply require a grit blasted surface with no anchor pattern requirements and still other coatings (like our WPCT product) a pipe can likely be cleaned with a simple power wire brush.  

     In any case though, please, please be sure that your crews are meeting the minimum surface preparation requirements for whatever pipeline coating they are using.  No matter what the coating is - its future as a successful coating (that does exactly what it was expected to do) is almost always determined by its installation.  Skip the pre-heating step...you will have problems.  Utilize improper surface preparation...you will have problems.  Shrink the sleeve with the wrong type of torch (never use a welding torch!)...you will have problems.  Installation is simple, easy and repeatable.  There is no need to cut corners; so please don't.

Heat Shrink Sleeve Installation Tips - Part 1

     This week I'm going to take a brief look at some of the common 'tips' I try to share when talking with the people who actually install our products.  This week; what I think is probably the most often overlooked issue (that can genuinely cause REAL problems in the field):  Preheat.

     When installing the heat shrink sleeve (any heat shrink sleeve applied to a steel pipeline) preheating the steel is going to be required.  The purpose of preheating the steel is to be sure the interface between the adhesive sealant of the shrink sleeve and the steel pipe (and factory applied coating) achieves the required bond-line temperature.  This bond-line temperature is the temperature at which an actual BOND occurs.  It varies from product to product, generally depending on the specific adhesive sealant that is being used.

     So, what is the tip?

     Any installer (and inspector and end user) MUST be sure that the installer is heating all 360 degrees of the pipe.  It is NOT sufficient to simply preheat the top of the pipe; or the side of the pipe.  Every side of the pipe; everywhere that the shrink sleeve will be in contact with the pipe; must be properly preheated to at least the minimum installation temperature.  This includes the BOTTOM of the pipe which is very often overlooked. 

    So, tip#1:  Make absolutely certain that the installer is preheating (and checking the temperature) at all points of the pipeline.  They need to check the top, the bottom, the sides, the plant applied coating and the bare steel.  Without the proper preheat temperature, you can be certain that the heat shrink sleeve is not going to perform as you are expecting -- or as the data sheet says it well. 

Maximum Installation Temperature of a Heat Shrink Sleeve

Question:  What is the maximum installation temperature for a shrink sleeve?  I see that it shrinks at 275F, but what temperature do I need to avoid exceeding?

Answer:  If you're talking about during installation:  As you already know, the sleeve will shrink when the temperature of the backing reaches ~275 degrees F.  That is the crystalline melt point for the PE backing.  In the Pipeline world; these products are typically installed with a propane torch that can operate up into the 1000's of degrees.  For that reason, it is important that the torch is always moving.  Because the sleeve has been radiation crosslinked, it will no longer melt (one of the advantages of cross linking) but it can still burn - and a portion of that backing being heated toward 1000 degrees would surely cause significant, noticeable problems.

All of that to say:  there is no "REAL" maximum temperature to exceed during installation.  Keep the torch moving.  If you see the sleeve backing begin to catch fire - or beginning to smoke - then you are not moving your torch around enough and you are probably on the path to causing damage (though it takes a lot to cause damage).

If you were shrinking the sleeve in an oven (as an example) you would likely leave the temperature at ~280F.  Hot enough to shrink the sleeve, with no reason to heat it higher than that.

 (for more info read: "What is the effect of overheating a heat shrink sleeve?")

High Temp Shrink Sleeve - WPC100M

High Temp Shrink Sleeve

WPC100M

    

Covalence WPC100M (formerly Raychem / Berry)

     WPC100M is a wrap around heat shrink sleeve designed for use on pipelines that will operate at elevated temperatures.  In a situation where this sleeve will be in contact with soil (buried as an example) it is rated to 80C (176F).  In cases where this sleeve will be encapsulated in some way (beneath an infill system; beneath insulation, etc) it is rated to 100C (212F).  

     With a long, successful use history, WPC100M has proven reliability both in terms of performance and in terms of having a simple, easily repeatable installation.  WPC100M is a two layer heat shrink sleeve.  The outer layer is a radiation crosslinked, high density polyethylene.  The inner layer is a specially formulated, aggressive mastic sealant.  

     Like many of the other products in the Covalence Heat Shrinkable products family, WPC100M is supplied with PCI.  This means that the backing of the sleeve is supplied with a dimpled cross hatch pattern and as the shrink sleeve is properly shrunk, this pattern fades to a smooth surface.  This gives installers, inspectors and end users the confidence of knowing that heat shrink sleeve was properly heated during installation.  

     The aggressive mastic sealant is also capable of bonding to all commonly used pipeline coatings; including (but not limited to) FBE, polypropylene, polyethylene and CTE.  This makes the WPC100M one of the most versatile products in the market place.  WPC100M can be used on any pipe size; from 2" up to and beyond 48".

Coating a Steel Repair Sleeve

     We've seen many times that an existing pipeline experiences wall thickness loss due to some corrosion or damage to the factory applied coatings.  In cases like that, a pig generally discovers this wall loss and a repair of some kind must be made.  Assuming that some wall thickness still exists; the pipe is excavated and often times  a steel repair sleeve is welded onto the damaged area in order to 'rebuild' the wall thickness there (it is my understanding that a Clockspring is sometimes used as well). 

     In many of those cases, the steel repair sleeve is uncoated.  In addition, since the steel repair sleeve is welded in; the process damages the adjacent factory applied coatings.  The result is that a pipeline coating is needed there.  There are a couple of potential issues; as the line is often an active line (or at least a full line) which tends to prevent preheating (a necessary step of just about any worthwhile coating). 

     When I'm approached with this type of a problem; I know that our heat shrink sleeves are definitely a great solution.  We utilize our S1301M liquid epoxy to act as the bonding agent; we include mastic logs to pack at the step down area to fill any potential cavity there at the step down (since the step down is typically pretty significant at 1/2" or more) and we supply a shrink sleeve that will protect that steel repair sleeve for the life of the line.  Simple installation, no special training required; proven methods.  Everybody wins.

Cathodic Protection and Shrink Sleeves

Question:  What sort of products do you sell into the Cathodic Protection industry?  Are they all heat shrinkable?

Answer:  We sell a number of products into the CP industry; some are heat shrinkable and some are not.

Looking at them one by one:

Anode Caps - heat shrinkable caps designed to seal and protect the lead wire / anode connection and offer much needed stress relief to that area (link).

GHFC - Incredibly simple and easy protection for your cable splice.  Nothing is faster or easier to install (link) 

WCSM - heavy wall heat shrinkable tubing for simple electrical splices (link).

MWTM - medium wall heat shrink tubing for simple splices (link).

And plenty of others.  If you are in the CP industry and need help with sealing, protecting, splicing or terminating - there is a good chance that we have the right product for you. 

How Do I Protect and Seal the Lead Wire to Anode Connection?

  
     Question:  I need to find a way to protect and seal the lead wire to anode connection.  Do you have something that would work?

     Answer:  Absolutely.

Heat shrinkable anode caps are perfect for sealing and protecting your anodes.

     Anode Caps have a long and successful use history.  Internally coated with an aggressive mastic sealant, the anode cap successfully creates a barrier to protect water ingress to your lead wire connection.  In addition, the anode cap (small end) provides stress relief to that wire to give it a longer life.  If you're not using Anode Caps...why not?

More info: link

Bumper Doughnut Sleeve for Bundled Directional Bore

    Question:  I have a bundled directional drill that includes a 6" pipe.  What can I use to hold a doughnut in place to prevent the pipes from bumping into and damaging one another?

     Answer:  When you're dealing with a 6" pipe; that presents a challenge.  In the world of heat shrink sleeves, the important dimensions are 6.625" (the OD of the pipe) and 8.625" (the OD of the substrate which is the 6" pipe plus two layers of 1" thick rubber.  Unfortunately, that 8.625" down to 6.625" would require just a bit more shrink ratio than the DIRAX is able to provide.  So in case like that, we must use a different product that is still fiber sheet reinforced; but is also a high expansion product. 

Bundle Bumper Sleeve for Smaller Diameter Pipe

     What you see here is our BBS/CCS for a 6" pipe.  The doughnut is 2" wide (along the pipe) and 1" tall (two 1" x 1" doughnuts pushed together).  An excellent product and those doughnuts are not going to be going anywhere!