Covalence Heat Shrink Sleeve Applications

Covalence heat shrinkable sleeves, produced by Seal For Life, are engineered for a wide range of pipeline protection and sealing applications. Their robust design and versatile product range make them suitable for various industries and pipeline conditions. The main applications include:

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  Covalence sleeves are widely used to protect the welded joints (field joints) of pipelines from corrosion, restoring the integrity of factory-applied coatings after pipeline sections are joined in the field. This is a critical application for oil, gas, and water pipelines of all diameters.

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  The sleeves provide a tough, abrasion-resistant barrier that shields pipelines from mechanical damage, soil stresses, and impacts during installation and throughout the pipeline’s operational life. This is especially important for pipelines buried underground or exposed to harsh environments.

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  Covalence offers specialized sleeves for sealing joints in district heating and district cooling pipelines, ensuring long-term protection against moisture ingress and thermal losses.

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  Products like the Covalence DIRAX system are specifically designed for high-stress applications such as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), where pipelines are pulled through the ground and subjected to significant mechanical forces. Fiberglass-reinforced sleeves are used for extra strength in these demanding environments.

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  Covalence sleeves are used for retrocoating welded seams, couplings, bolt connections, pipe bends, flanges, and for repairing damaged factory coatings on both new and existing pipelines.

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  The product line includes sleeves for sealing joints in pre-insulated pipe systems, commonly used in district heating/cooling and industrial applications, to maintain insulation integrity and prevent water ingress.

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  Covalence offers sleeves for specific pipeline features such as flanges, sockets, and bends, as well as molded parts for gas distribution networks and accessories for complex joint configurations.

• Available in both 2-layer and 3-layer systems, with options for epoxy primers and various adhesive types to suit different temperature and service requirements.

• Compatible with a wide range of pipe diameters and factory-applied coatings, including polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

• Approved by major global standards (ISO, EN, AWWA, NACE, GOST), ensuring suitability for diverse field conditions.

Covalence heat shrinkable sleeves are trusted globally for protecting pipelines against corrosion, mechanical damage, and environmental ingress, making them a leading choice for field joint coating and pipeline sealing across multiple industries.

WPCT, Wraparound Heat-Shrinkable Girth Weld Sleeve

WPCT Wraparound Girth Weld Sleeve

WPCT is a two-layer field-joint coating system designed for corrosion protection
of pipelines operating at ambient temperature.

Product Description: WPCT field-joint coating.
Construction: two-layer system:

• First layer: Visco-elastic low preheat sealant adhesive.
• Second layer: Thick-walled, radiation cross-linked, high density polyethylene with PCI (Permanent Change Indicator).

WPCT is a wraparound heat-shrinkable, ready-to-fit assembly for the corrosion protection of field girth weld joints in distribution and transmission systems. WPCT is compatible with standard pipe coatings. WPCT can also be used for coating bare, replacement pipe sections and large radius bends. The system is designed to be applied with minimum preheating and is ideal for large diameter water pipe.
 

The installation is carried out directly on the cleaned and dried (pre-heated) pipe surface without any primer being required. During installation, the heat-shrinkable sleeve is wrapped and shrunk to form a tight fit around the joint. During recovery, the adhesive softens and flows to form a perfect bond with the pipe surface providing protection against corrosion. The radiation cross-linked outer layer forms a tough barrier against mechanical damage and moisture transmission.

Product Features/Benefits: 

• Dimpled backing provides a 'permanent change' indicator for application of heat ensures correct application heat & allows easy post-heat inspection.
• Reliable inspectability at any time.
• Low preheat sensitivity & proven functionality makes installation friendly in combination with high functional performance.
• High impact and penetration resistance as well as being tough, but flexible even at low temperatures!
• Sealing adhesive automatically flows and repairs minor mechanical damages, Self-healing effect. Saves extra intervention steps.
• No special equipment or skills required which makes installation fast and easy while keeping installation costs low.

Product Selection Guide:

Max operating temperature: 104 degrees Fahrenheit / ** For pipe diameters < 16" (DN400): 45°C (113°F)

Compatible line coatings:  PE, FBE, Coal Tar, Tape & Asphalt

Min preheat temperature:  140 degrees Fahrenheit

Recommended pipe preparation:  ST 21/2 - ST3 or SA 21/2

Soil stress restrictions:  Moderate

Performance: EN12068; Class B30

Ordering Information:

Joint Specialists Supplies WPCT as Uni-sleeve (pre-cut sleeve with pre-attached
closure patch).

Select sleeve width that will overlap onto the mill-applied coating
by 2 inches (50 mm) minimum on each side of the weld joint.
When calculating the minimum sleeve width take a 10% shrinkage
during installation of sleeve width into account.

 

Common widths in which WPCT heat-shrinkable sleeves are supplied include:

• 11 inch 
• 17 inch
• 24 inch
• 34 inch

Sleeve cut lengths and appropriate closure patch widths depend on the pipe size and product construction,

 

Covalence Heat Shrink Tubing

Covalence Heat Shrink Tubing and Raychem Heat Shrink Tubing

     This can sometimes get a little bit confusing! I've written previously with a more thorough explanation of the history of Raychem as a brand name, so I will keep things a little bit simpler here.  What ultimately happened, is Raychem kept the name, factory and rights to all of the parts that are typically used in the electrical and energy world.  Covalence ended up with all of the rights to the products that are manufactured for the pipeline world.  As you might imagine, pipelines are typically larger than electrical cables; so ultimately it comes down to size.  Raychem heat shrink tubing is almost always smaller.  Covalence heat shrink tubing is almost always larger.

Covalence Heat Shrink Tubing

     The most commonly sold tubing manufactured by Covalence is the TPS shrink sleeve (stands for Tubular Pipe Sleeve).  This is a heat shrinkable, radiation crosslinked polyolefin backing; coated on the inside with an aggressive mastic sealant.  This mastic sealant bonds to all of the commonly used factory applied pipeline coatings.  TPS heat shrink sleeves are generally only made for pipelines for pipelines 2" thru 8".  This would cover pipe ODs: 2.375" (TPS 2375-18), 2.875" (TPS 2875-18), 3.500" (TPS 3500-18), 4.500" (TPS 4500-18), 6.625" (TPS 6625-18) and 8.625" (TPS 8625-18).  We do also sell TPS in a 9" length (as far as the nomenclature goes; just replace the "18" with a "9".  

The sleeve on the right is a TPS; tubular shrink sleeve

 

     Covalence also manufactures a CPSM shrink sleeve.  We stock the CPSM 195/102-1500-S which is a shrink tube supplied with an ID of 7.677" that will shrink all the way down to a substrate that is 4.01".  This tube is actually 4.92 feet long - so it can be used for a variety of different applications.  CPSM is a high expansion, heavy wall shrink tubing that is coated internally with a mastic sealant meaning that it will bond well to most all surfaces. 

Raychem Heat Shrink Tubing

     Raychem heat shrink tubing, on the other hand, is MUCH smaller - designed for electrical applications and rated for use on certain voltage levels.  WCSM is the most commonly sold shrink tubing: 

WCSM is sold in a variety of sizes; all designed for different wire and connector configurations

     For a more thorough explanation of the different WCSM sizes; visit our page dedicated to WCSM tubing.  WCSM is rated for use to 1000 volts and can be used as a jacket repair all the way up to 35 kV.  

Raychem manufactures dozens of other tubings.  For more information on any of them, visit the electrical blog or our JSI Coatings electrical section.

Heat Shrink Sleeves as Pipeline Coatings

Heat Shrink Sleeves for Pipelines

    Heat shrinkable sleeves have been used for many years as the primary corrosion coating for field joints (also called girth welds) on pipelines.  Do you need a refresher on what girth welds and field joints are?  As I've documented elsewhere in this blog (WPCT use history) Raychem (now called Covalence) shrink sleeves have been the market leaders for decades.  There are very literally millions and millions of pipeline field joints coated with heat shrink sleeves and the truth (which some big spending, vocal spin doctors don't want you to know) is that heat shrinkable sleeves (Raychem in particular) have been incredibly reliable pipeline coatings.  Heat shrink sleeves have offered excellent corrosion prevention to pipelines of all sizes.  If you've seen the GTI field joint coating test results - then you know that what I'm saying is true.  Heat shrink sleeves were generally ranked #1 (tied with FBE) in both clay and sandy soil.  Yes, you read that correctly:  NUMBER 1.  Compare the equipment and labor costs of putting FBE on your pipeline field joints with the material and labor cost of putting a heat shrink sleeve on your field joint....then go read the GTI report....then go ask your buyers why you've been needlessly spending on field joint coating to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

The front page of the amazingly thorough GTI field joint coating study

      I know what you're thinking if you've read this thread.  You're thinking "WHAT?  That can't be!"  I hate to break it to you, my friend...but it is true.  It is true - and its proven.  In case after case in that GTI study heat shrink sleeves ranked #1 and showed no signs of corrosion.  Meanwhile other "technologies" (I put the word technologies in quotes because some manufacturers out there are actually a lot better at marketing and story telling than they are at manufacturing quality pipeline coatings) performed so poorly in that GTI test that it is hard to understand how they sell anything!  But, I guess we've all known that advertising works -- that marketing works -- that if we hear something enough - we'll begin to believe it.  I think it was Lenin (the Russian; not the Beatle) who said "a lie told often enough becomes the truth."  

    If you're skeptical, contact GTI yourself and purchase your own copy of the report.  www.gastechnology.orgwww.gastechnology.org