Following a series of tests, Norway’s Independent Industrial Polymer Institute Norner (Stathelle; www.norner.no) has developed a new PP material recipe that it says ensures a long service life in aggressive environments. The mix is the result of trials of different additive recipes in liquids and solvents, with the goal of extending service life to more than 20 years at elevated temperatures.

Potential uses for the new recipe include the transportation of hot water, warm hydrocarbons or alkaline liquids in a piping system where PP is used as a liner. Norner said the results were “very good” even at 70 °C, adding that accelerated testing had shown a service life of more than 25 years. “The proprietary solution developed for PP is currently in implementation phase in a harsh industrial environment at a chemical plant”, senior researcher Harry Øysæd said.