With worldwide scarcity of safe drinking water, water is soon going to become the most precious commodity. One of the major challenges in near future will be the transportation of treated water to consumers without pipeline leakage and without affecting the water quality due to corrosion or encrustation in the pipelines.
European water companies have estimated that the average cost of a large diameter water main failure is approx US$35,000 in addition to consequential damages. Surveys conducted by various water (and gas) utility companies have shown that PE has by far the lowest failure rate among all piping materials. Specified PE100 pipes have demonstrated world over that it is the best candidate to accomplish this job at the minimum cost per unit of delivered water over a lifetime 50�100 years.
However, to deliver a maintenance free service life of 50-100 years, a PE100 material should not only be MRS 10 (Minimum Required Strength) of 50-100 years, it should have balanced all round properties like Resistance to Slow Crack Growth and Resistance to Rapid Crack Propagation.
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To uphold the quality standards of PE100 materials, PE100+ Association was founded in Europe in 1999 by Borealis, Elenac (currently Basell) and Solvay (currently Ineos). It was a promotion place needed by HDPE pipe industry with common quality objectives.
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| What is the scope of PE100+ Association? |
• Establish a quality label for PE100+ products
• Assure consistent quality at the highest level in the production and application of PE 100 pipe materials
• Promote usage of PE piping systems in general
• Focus towards end-users with more information support
• Welcome any polyethylene manufacturer whose materials comply with the enhanced requirements of the PE100+ Association
The requirements of PE100+ association are more stringent than ISO 4427 and EN12201. The qualifying materials have to fulfil these requirements once in every seven months. Currently there are eight members of PE100+ Association whose PE100 materials fulfil these requirements. They are: Borealis, Basell, Borouge, Ineos, Sabic, Prime Polymers, Total and Thai PE.
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| Property |
Test Method |
EN / ISO Standard Requirement |
PE100+ requirement |
Creep Rupture Strength
(ISO 1167) |
Internal Pressure Test at 20 degree C and 12.4 MPa |
> 100 Hours |
>200 Hours |
| Resistance to Slow Crack Growth (ISO 13479) |
Pipe notch test at 80 degree C and 9.2 bar |
> 165 Hours |
>500 Hours |
| Resistance to Rapid Crack Propagation (ISO 13477) |
S4 Test at 0 degree C |
Pc>MOP/2.4 � 13/18 |
> 10 Bar |
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Specifying a HDPE material which is classified as PE100+ gives higher reliability, 100 years reference design life and peace of mind for utility owners, installers and consultants.
PE100+ Association serves as a promotional tool for PE pipe industry through their various seminars and industry events. The �PE Pipe Model� in their website is a very good reference document for pipe designers, installers and end users.
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About Borouge
Borouge is the leading suppler of specified HDPE PE100 black compounds for water distribution pipes in Asian market and a prominent member of PE100+ Association. Borouge brings the best of European technology to one of the Middle East's most modern plants and is rapidly expanding capacity in the polyolefins industry. For more information, please visit . |
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| For Details Contact: chanchal.dasgupta@borouge.com +91-22-26747650 |
For Details Contact: chanchal.dasgupta@borouge.com +91-22-26747700 |
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