Abrasion Resistance of PE Grades

[stanier]

I am looking into the relative wear resistance of grades of PE. Particularly PE80B, PE80C and PE100. The application is a gold tailings line where the design velocity is 1.9m/s. I have the size consist of the grind. D85 = 80um.

Please advise any technical papers , books, websites where this information may be available.

 

[StephenA]

Pipelife

http://www.pipelife.com/

may be able to help.

StephenA

 

[Mech85]

Stanier,

Check out the Vinidex PE pipe web page on

http://www.vinidex.com.au

or obtain a copy of their Polyethylene Pipe Systems technical manual on CD-ROM. Page 26 of the "Materials" discusses the abrasion resistance of their PE pipe products.

 

[stanier]

I have been in touch with Vinidex and they have been helpful. They only have anecdotal evidence that PE100 is more abrasion resistant than PE80B.

What we need is for industry to do some Darmstadt testing to come up with the comparative data. Even so actual pipeline data will only come from pipeline operators.

 

[corrosionman]

Stanier It is almost impossible to offer accurate wear resistance guides for any material, not just plastics.
Rate of wear depends on so very many factors; partical size, flow speed, grain shape, grain hardness,angle of impact, liquid carrying grains,relative corrosion rates, presence of other bodies or air in flow stream,temperature,stress level in wear material,Etc Etc.
Any manufacture who publishes data would then be wide open to claims from unhappy users.
Generally speaking each Industry gains experience in what works and what does not (this assumes that there is a desire to search out the best solution.
Before going too far down any particular road stand back and view the problem objectively. In UK we have polyethylene grades pe1000 pe500 pe300 . The first type is the beast wear material but it is available only in certain sheet sizes and as round bar, but it cannot be welded so of limited use. Type two is similar. Type three is weakest but is available as pipes but these can only be heat welded together . ABS and PVC are still good on abrasion, (but not as good), but available in many forms including pipes which are easily assembled by adhesive ( glue ) but they differ widely on chemical resistance.
Polyurethane is very good for abrasion but no chemical resistance, no heat resistance, and it cannot be glued very easily.
Best of luck. Come back if you need more . Cheers DW

 

[stanier]

HI Corrosionman,

Thanks for all of that. One of my specialities is slurry pipeline design and the application of thermoplastics for pipelines. What I was trying to unearth is if there had been any comparative testing of the two grades of PE used for modern pipelines.

To get actual wear rates the best one could hope for is that there is a mine with a similar grind where the bedrock is of a similar consist.

The customer is about to invest heavily in a tailings line and wants some hand holding, perhaps someone to blame.

 

[corrosionman]

Stanier, I'm not familiar with your situation but have many years experience with a mineral processing plant who handle ores being crushed, milled, cycloned, screened pumped a velocities much higher than yours, sometimes as a real high percentage of solids, sometimes not, and with partical sizes from huge to micro. The site on which we work has many many miles of pipe for transmission and there are two plastics used. ABS (It is better than PVC ) it is used in the plant where lots of bends and fittings and flanges are needed and the men easily do site runs by cutting to length and glueing as they go. For longer runs with fewer bends etc Pe 300 is always used and lasts many many years. Pe 300 is the most commonly met plastic pipe - - used for water supply lines, for gas supply and for practically every utility. It is at least ten times more wear resistant than ABS, and it is very superior to polypropylene, I run a Contract company and instal these pipes for many years and always had a theoretical interest in how they perform.
Cheers CM

 

[stanier]

HI Corrosionman,

By the way I have been advising Eurapipe (formerly Durawills) on appllcations of ABS pipe for twenty odd years in Australia and SE Asia.

The ABS you use is probably from Glynwed Industries(formerly Durapipe)

I have seen some comparative Darmstadt testing that shows ABS has equal wear properties to MDPE.

As you say slurries arent slurries.