TWI-based permeation and ageing laboratory for composite pipe materials

The Non-metallic Innovation Centre (NIC), UK, has opened a dedicated laboratory to undertake specialist permeation and ageing tests.

The NIC facility, based within TWI, UK, features polymer ageing equipment with the ability to reach pressures of 2,600psi and temperatures of 374°F.  It has the capacity to undertake specialist permeation and ageing tests using single components or a mixture of sour, hydrocarbon fluids, natural gas, water, hydrogen gas and supercritical carbon dioxide. 

The oil and gas industry is increasingly turning to non-metallic flowlines and wellbore products to avoid corrosion issues.  Intrinsic to wider adoption of non-metallic materials is the temperature and pressure envelope for composite and multi-layered pipes, which requires an assessment of barrier properties and chemo-mechanical stability prior to deployment.

Operators who use pipes made of non-metallic materials are required to meet certain standards that act as a general guide for the assessment of ageing in non-metallic materials.

NIC is a partnership between TWI Ltd, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Saudi Aramco Technologies Company (SATC).