PREPARATION METHOD AND USE OF HYBRID COMPOSITE PIPES

Abstract

A preparation method of a hybrid composite pipe and applications thereof. By mixing and curing high polymers as a matrix with one or more types of porous lightweight aggregates or granules, the main body or structural layer of this composite pipe can combine with a variety of non-metal or metal materials as well as various types of metal or non-metal base pipes so as to prepare different hybrid composite pipes. The high polymers include the thermosetting high polymers and thermoplastic high polymers. The pipe can be prepared and molded by one or more processes of rolling, winding, pultrusion, centrifugal casting, extrusion, injection molding, resin transfer, and sandwiching. The pipe described herein can be applied to petroleum, natural gas, heat and gas supply, water supply and drainage, agricultural irrigation, mining, seawater desalination, electric power communication, municipal pipeline corridor and other purposes.

Claims

1. A hybrid composite pipe, comprising an outer layer, an inner layer and a main structural layer; wherein the outer layer and the inner layer are made from high polymers or base pipes; the main structural layer is made by combining the high polymers as a matrix with porous lightweight aggregates or granules that have a bulk density of less than 1200 kg/m.sup.3 and a porous or uneven surface; and the high polymers comprise thermosetting high polymers and thermoplastic high polymers.

2. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer, inner and main structural layers is a metal or a ceramic base pipe structure, or additionally coated with a metal or ceramic base pipe structure.

3. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein the porous lightweight aggregates or granules are selected from ceramsite, ceramic sand, expanded perlite, glass microbeads, pumice, volcanic slag, cinder, mineral waste residue, porous sinter, light sand, porous plastic granules and artificial or natural lightweight granules.

4. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 2, wherein the porous lightweight aggregates or granules are selected from ceramsite, ceramic sand, expanded perlite, glass microbeads, pumice, volcanic slag, cinder, mineral waste residue, porous sinter, light sand, porous plastic granules and artificial or natural lightweight granules.

5. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein the high polymers are compounds with relative molecular weight of greater than 10,000, comprising thermoplastic plastics selected from PE, PP, PVC, PS, ABS, PEEK, PES, PASU, PPS, XLPE, m-PP and PB-1), thermosetting plastics (selected from phenolics, epoxy, amino, unsaturated polyester, furane, polysiloxane, and PDAP plastics), rubbers (selected from styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber and neoprene rubber), special rubbers (selected from nitrile rubber, chlorinated rubber, fluororubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, polysulfide rubber, and acrylate rubber), and fibers (selected from glass fiber, aramid fiber, carbon fiber, polyester fiber/terylene, polyamide fiber/chinlon/nylon, polyvinyl alcohol fiber/vinyl, polyacrylonitrile fiber/acrylic fiber, polypropylene fiber/PP fiber, polyvinyl chloride fiber/PVC fiber, and synthetic and regenerated fibers).

6. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 2, wherein the high polymers are compounds with relative molecular weight of greater than 10,000, comprising thermoplastic plastics selected from PE, PP, PVC, PS, ABS, PEEK, PES, PASU, PPS, XLPE, m-PP and PB-1, thermosetting plastics selected from phenolics, epoxy, amino, unsaturated polyester, furane, polysiloxane, and PDAP plastics, rubbers selected from styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber and neoprene rubber, special rubbers selected from nitrile rubber, chlorinated rubber, fluororubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, polysulfide rubber, and acrylate rubber, and fibers selected from glass fiber, aramid fiber, carbon fiber, polyester fiber/terylene, polyamide fiber/chinlon/nylon, polyvinyl alcohol fiber/vinyl, polyacrylonitrile fiber/acrylic fiber, polypropylene fiber/PP fiber, polyvinyl chloride fiber/PVC fiber, and synthetic and regenerated fibers.

7. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein the main structural layer is produced by mixing the porous lightweight aggregates or granules with other pipe granules and materials comprising short fiber materials and nano materials.

8. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 2, wherein the main structural layer is produced by mixing the porous lightweight aggregates or granules with other pipe granules and materials comprising short fiber materials and nano materials.

9. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein the porous lightweight aggregates or granules are modified using a surfactant and coupling agent by a method comprising: adding the surfactant or the coupling agent to a low-boiling solvent to form a solution with certain concentration, and then uniformly dispersing the porous lightweight aggregates or granules in the solution in a high-speed mixer at a certain temperature; alternatively, reacting with the atomized surfactant or the coupling agent at a certain temperature; or, as another option, dispersing a cross-linking agent into a certain solvent, adding the porous lightweight aggregates or granules into the solvent, and treating the solvent by heating and stirring simultaneously.

10. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein organic bentonite, thickeners, binders and hot melt adhesives are added to the main structural layer.

11. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 2, wherein organic bentonite, thickeners, binders and hot melt adhesives are added to the main structural layer.

12. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, wherein the composite pipe is prepared and molded by one or more processes of rolling, winding, pultrusion, centrifugal casting, extrusion, injection molding, prestressing, resin transfer, and sandwiching.

13. The hybrid composite pipe of claim 2, wherein the composite pipe is prepared and molded by one or more processes of rolling, winding, pultrusion, centrifugal casting, extrusion, injection molding, prestressing, resin transfer, and sandwiching.

14. An application of the hybrid composite pipe of claim 1, comprising: applying the hybrid composite pipe in petroleum, natural gas, heat and gas supply, water supply and drainage, agricultural irrigation, mining, seawater desalination, electric power communication, municipal pipeline corridor and the other purposes.

15. An application of the hybrid composite pipe of claim 2, comprising: applying the hybrid composite pipe in petroleum, natural gas, heat and gas supply, water supply and drainage, agricultural irrigation, mining, seawater desalination, electric power communication, municipal pipeline corridor and the other purposes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a hybrid composite pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hybrid composite pipe according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] In the drawings: 1, outer structural layer; 2, inner structural layer; 3, hybrid structural layer prepared by porous lightweight aggregates or granules and high polymers; 4, base pipe.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The following embodiments are only intended to describe the invention in a more detailed way and to facilitate the understanding, but not to limit the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

[0017] A hybrid composite pipe is prepared by combining porous lightweight aggregates or granules with PE.

[0018] Subject to the profile co-extrusion process, different plastic melt material flows supplied by several extruders are then pressed through the same extruder for confluence; as a result, high polymers of different properties are extruded into different parts of the same profile to form the multi-layer hybrid composite pipe.

[0019] (1) PE100 is selected as a raw material. High-strength porous ceramic sand, with plenty fine pores on the granule surface, has a particle size of 2 mm, a cylinder pressure is 8 MP. Gradation is designed as follows: particle size of 1016 mesh, 30%; particle size of 1620 mesh, 40%; particle size of 2040 mesh, 20%; and particle size of 4080 mesh, 10%. The high-strength porous ceramic sand is mixed with the PE100, where the volume percentage of PE100 in the mixture is 35%.

[0020] (2) After drying the high-strength porous ceramic sand, the silane coupling agent is evenly mixed with the high-strength porous ceramic by stirring, where standard amount=(filler amount*filler specific surface area)/the minimum coating area of the coupling agent; for the empirical amount, the volume percentage is about 0.13% of the granule stacking.

[0021] (3) Temperature conditions: the barrel temperature should be controlled within the range of 180-200 C., the temperature of the extruder shall be controlled within the range of 190-210 C., the temperature of the die should be controlled within the range of 200-220 C., and the temperature of the melt materials is no more than 200 C.

[0022] (4) Corresponding mold and sizing sleeve are selected according to the pipe design specifications; and the main engine, traction, and co-extrusion speed are set.

[0023] (5) Corresponding screw speed, melt pressure and discharge flow are set according to the pipe design specifications.

[0024] (6) The matched raw materials are loaded to the extruders corresponding to different layers according to the different compounding parts of the pipe.

[0025] (7) Products are manufactured according to preparation procedures of the profile co-extrusion process.

EXAMPLE 2

[0026] The hybrid composite pipe is prepared by mixing porous lightweight aggregates or granules and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) with PE100, aramid fiber or alkali-free glass fiber, PE80.

[0027] A co-extrusion process, a winding process and an extrusion process are employed, and accordingly, the profile co-extrusion, winding and compounding extrusion equipments are used.

[0028] (1) PE100 is mixed with CPE-135A. The weight percentage of PE-CPE mixture should be 60%, to which the cross-linking agent TEHC is added. The high-strength porous ceramic sand, with plenty fine pores on the granule surface, has a particle size of 2.5 mm. A cylinder pressure is 12 MP. Gradation is designed as follows:

[0029] particle size of 1016 mesh, 20%; particle size of 1620 mesh, 40%; particle size of 2040 mesh, 30%; and particle size of 4080 mesh, 10%. A silane coupling agent at the volume ratio of 1.5% is added to the granules. The high-strength porous ceramic sand is mixed with the formulated matrix, where the volume percentage of matrix in the mixture is 35%. Aramid fiber or alkali-free glass fiber is selected.

[0030] (2) Temperature conditions: the barrel temperature should be controlled within the range of 110-160 C., the temperature of the extruder should be controlled within the range of 120-160 C., the temperature of the die should be controlled within the range of 120-170 C., and the temperature of the melt materials is no more than 180 C.

[0031] (3) Equipments and other production conditions are used according to the profile co-extrusion process.

[0032] (4) The inner layer composed of the formulated matrix and the second structural layer composed of the formulated matrix mixed with the high-strength porous ceramic sand are prepared according to the profile co-extrusion process.

[0033] (5) At the winding station, two reinforcing bands formed by spiral aramid fiber or alkali-free glass fiber are uniformly wound on the second layer of the pipe via the rotating unit of winding equipment, thus the third structural layer of the pipe is obtained.

[0034] (6) Subsequently, the outer protective layer are covered with PE80 via compounding extrusion on the basis of the third structural layer.

EXAMPLE 3

[0035] The hybrid composite pipe is prepared by combining the base pipe of galvanized corrugated steel pipe and high-strength porous ceramic sand with PE100, alkali-free glass fiber, unsaturated polyester resin 190.

[0036] A centrifugal process and a winding process are employed, and accordingly, the centrifugal equipment and winding equipment are used.

[0037] (1) PE100, unsaturated polyester resin 190, alkali-free glass fiber and high-strength porous ceramic sand are selected as raw materials. The high-strength porous ceramic sand, with plenty fine pores on the granule surface, has a particle size of mm. A cylinder pressure is 8 MP. Gradation is designed as follows: particle size of of 1016 mesh, 40%; particle size of 1620 mesh, 40%; and particle size of 2040 mesh, 20%.

[0038] (2) After drying the high-strength porous ceramic sand, the silane coupling agent are evenly mixed with the high-strength porous ceramic sand by stirring, where standard amount=(filler amount*filler specific surface area)/the minimum coating area of the coupling agent; for the empirical amount, the volume percentage is about 0.1-3% of the granule stacking. In the hybrid layer of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190, the volume percentage of the unsaturated polyester resin 190 should be 35%.

[0039] (3) The galvanized corrugated steel pipe is located in the middle layer. The structural layers of the pipe from inside to outside are a PE inner layer, a hybrid layer A of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190, a galvanized corrugated steel pipe, a hybrid layer B of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190, and a protective layer of alkali-free glass fiber impregnated with unsaturated polyester resin 190. For the preparation processes, the PE inner layer and the hybrid layer A of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190 are combined with the galvanized corrugated steel pipe using the centrifugal process; subsequently, the winding process is used to prepare the hybrid layer B of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190 and the protective layer of alkali-free glass fiber impregnated unsaturated polyester resin 190.

[0040] (4) The galvanized corrugated steel pipe is located in the outer protective layer. The structural layers of the pipe from inside to outside are the PE inner layer, the hybrid layer of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190, and the outer protective layer of galvanized corrugated steel pipe. The centrifugal process is applied throughout the course.

[0041] (5) The galvanized corrugated steel pipe is located in the inner protective layer. The structural layers of the pipe from inside to outside are the inner protective layer of galvanized corrugated steel pipe, the hybrid layer of high-strength porous ceramic sand and unsaturated polyester resin 190, and the outer protective layer of alkali-free glass fiber impregnated with unsaturated polyester resin 190. The winding process is applied throughout the course.