Bimodal HDPE grade increases customer output and cuts energy bills

19-Apr-12

SABIC® Vestolen A RELY bimodal high density polyethylene grades are able to meet the stringent requirements for typical pressure pipes, as well as helping customers with considerable energy savings when producing the pipe, as indicated by our customers. Two grades are currently available, both typically suitable of producing pressure pipe that meets the PE 100 standard. SABIC® Vestolen A RELY 5924R delivers good low sag performance for large-diameter pipes and pressure pipes with a low standard dimension ratio (SDR). SABIC® Vestolen A RELY 5922R helps customers meet the stringent slow crack growth requirements for pressure pipe, enshrined in PAS (Publicly Accessible Standard) 1075. Certification to PAS 1075 enables the grade to be used for pipes intended for installation using the most demanding techniques, including new trenchless methods such as guided boring and horizontal directional drilling. These methods have a reduced impact on the environment, but they are more demanding of pipe properties, since surface damage during the installation process is more likely to occur. Apart from their good mechanical properties, these two grades have a further convincing advantage. Their unique rheological and morphological properties – created through a combination of proprietary catalysts and fine-tuned reactor and extrusion technology – could provide processors with considerable energy savings. According to Jean Engels, Business Manager for HDPE at SABIC, processors will be able to make savings. “So, for example, a company already operating a line at full capacity could be able to increase output by as much as 16% (compared with commonly used bimodal HDPE) while reducing electricity consumption,” he says. “On the other hand, a pipe producer that does not need to raise production can realize energy savings by running at the same speed. Pipe size will also play a part in determining exactly how big the savings are.” Both the grades are currently available in black. For customers demanding fully colored pipe, SABIC is currently working on the development of two colored grades possessing enhanced resistance to slow crack growth propagation, commercially available in 2013.