Mark Lamborn, Ph.D.
Ashish Sukhadia, Ph.D.
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
Description:
An important consideration relating to the field performance of polyethylene (PE) pipe is resistance to rapid crack propagation (RCP). Although RCP occurrences in PE pipe are rare, it is important to understand the RCP phenomenon—to ensure that PE pipes are designed to avoid RCP events. RCP performance is complex and depends on a variety of factors, including test conditions (temperature and pressure) and pipe geometry (diameter and wall thickness). This webinar presents results from various experimental programs designed to develop a basic understanding of RCP performance, as characterized by the S4 test. Data are presented that define critical pressure – critical temperature failure surfaces for various types of PE pipe. The use of these data in the selection of RCP-resistant pipe based on specific service conditions is discussed. The results of both experimental and theoretical work to appraise the influence of pipe size on S4 test results are presented.