Pipe market

Pipe and fittings remain a significant market for ABS, particularly in North America. ABS foam core technology allows ABS resin to compete effectively with PVC in the primary drain-waste and vent (DWV) pipe market. 

Heat stabilisers for PVC act by HC1 scavenging and include organotins, mixed metal salt blends, and lead compounds. The latter account for nearly 64 % of volume (in 1994), followed by barium/cadmium and organotin compounds. Cadmium-based heat stabilisers are rapidly being replaced due to environmental concerns. Barium/zinc and calcium/zinc compounds show a high growth rate. It is expected that methyltin stabilisers will soon dominate the growing PVC pipe market. 

Just as extruded PVC pipe has grabbed a majority share of the water transportation pipe market in the last 50 years... 

Plastic pipe demand has been growing at a steady rate since 1967. In the United States its share of the total pipe market is more than 60%. Factors contributing to the accelerating use of plastic pipes include their low cost relative to conventional materials, excellent corrosion resistance, ease of installation, and wider building acceptance. 

The plastic pipe market is dominated by PVC pipes, which hold 80% of the market. Polyethylene, principally HDPE, is used for about 12% of pipe production. Following polyethylene are other higher priced, specialty pipes made from ABS terpolymer, chlorinated PVC, polypropylene, polybutylene, and fiber-reinforced epoxy and polyester. 

Grades of PE have been specially developed for the gas pressure pipe market. Eirst-generation HDPEs were not used in the UK. The second generation of MDPE copolymers has superior creep rupture resistance at the pipe design lifetime of 50 years (Fig. 14.5). The data falls on one or more lines lines of shallow slope are associated with ductile failure and lines of steeper slope with brittle plane strain crack growth (Fig. 14.3). The... 

Pipe s exceptional growth in what was a very competitive market is the result of its outstanding performances to costs (includes handling and installation). The total USA pipe market has been in the order of 5 billion per year. About 10 billion pounds of plastics are consumed with... 

GRP pipe can be generally categorized as commodity pipe and custom pipe. Both types of pipe have relative merits and fit into different niches within the GRP pipe market. Commodity pipe is made in select sizes up to about 48 in. (but normally 36 in. is the limit). Custom-engineered pipe can be made in virtually any size. Pipe 12 ft in diameter is not uncommon. 

The pipes market also involves a very large pipe fittings production and supply sector. The use of polymers in fittings, creates higher added value per unit mass than the bulk material extruded as pipe. Fittings production mostly involves injection moulding and total value is on a similar scale to the sale of pipe itself. 

In order to defend its share of the pipe market in the advanced economies of Western Europe, uPVC has had to offer the possibility of improved mechanical performance [10]. Improvement of low temperature toughness was achieved by alloying it with other polymers. Greater pressure containment strength was achieved by molecular orientation in the pipe wall and higher temperature rating was achieved by post-polymerisation chlorination. 

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