Advantages of a GRP conduit pipe

Abrasion-resistant pipelines are applied where pipelines made of steel or other materials do not perform their required function, e.g. in the transport of ash in power plant and combined heat and power plants, for the transport of mining water containing chlorides and sand and for the transport of various slurries in the energy sector (gypsum crystal slurry in the flue gas desulphurization plants), chemical industry and others.

Currently, the slurries are predominantly transported by thick-wall steel pipelines. In many case, internal pipeline abrasion and corrosion occurs. Such pipelines require relatively frequent replacement. Due to steel price increase, a necessity arose for a cheaper and better solution. One of such alternatives are our abrasion-resistant GRP pipelines.

Abrasion resistance, i.e. resistance to abrasion of the internal pipeline layer is achieved by addition of hard fine-powdered materials to the resin. These materials include silicon carbide (SiC). Silicon carbide is added in the amount of 15-25% of weight of the resin used to produce the chemically resistant layer. The thickness of chemically resistant layer ranges between 2.5 and 5.0 mm. Type E pipelines are made entirely of resin with admixed anti-abrasive material.

An additional advantage of GRP pipelines is low surface roughness, several times lower than that of steel which results in lower susceptibility to abrasion. It also possible to use GRP pipes with thermoplastic material internal layer as abrasion-resistant pipelines. These pipes are of structure and mechanical properties identical to those of pure GRP pipes. The abrasion resistance is achieved due to high smoothness of thermoplastic material. Thermoplastic materials used are polypropylene - PP, polyethylene - PE and polyvinyl chloride - PVC.

Examples of industry sectors in which the GRP pipelines can be used: