The recent tragic gas transmission line explosion in San Bruno, CA is the catalyst for quite a discussion of the aging gas pipeline infrastructure. Critics are coming out of the woodwork saying that there needs to be a better inspection regime, and that this problem should have been corrected before the explosion. Do you remember Bellingham, Washington pipeline explosion of 1999? That event was the catalyst that started the push to upgrade the inspection rules…more than 10 years ago…
Yet, what nobody seems to be discussing is the extremely slow pace of the regulatory process. TIMP (Transmission line Integrity Management Program), DIMP (Distribution line Integrity Management Program) and OQ (Operator Qualification) were the top priority of PHMSA and its predecessor organizations for the better part of a decade. The rule making process is so slow that well designed and well intentioned rule changes always take much too long.
With a more streamlined rule making process PHMSA could have promulgated the new pipeline safety rules a year or two faster. That might have resulted in more high consequence problems being detected in time to prevent a catastrophe.
I have had my own experiences with PHMSA’s rule making process. They are dedicated and expert professionals in pipeline safety, and they know that the process is too cumbersome and slow. Yet their hands are tied with procedural rules and a staffing level that is too small for the job.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Nylon 11 (PA11) and Nylon 12 (PA12) for high pressure pipe.
During the past 15 years nylon 11 (or PA11) has been extensively tested as a piping material for natural gas at pressures up to 200 psig. Polyethylene (PE) has been used for many decades in the USA and around the world in the same application, but is limited in the USA to 125 psig operating pressure. Above that pressure only steel was approved by the USDOT until January 2009 when the federal pipeline safety code Title 49 CFR Part 192 was revised to permit the use of PA11 at pressures up to 200 psig. The system is available commercially from Georg Fischer Central Plastics (Shawnee, Oklahoma)
During the past 6 years several manufacturers of PA12 evaluated that material for the same application, and there are several trial installations operating around the country. Based on the results of the trials and laboratory work, the proponents of PA12 hope to have Title 49 CFR Part 192 amended with PA12-specific language. I have been frequently asked to explain the difference between PA11 and PA12. I will briefly do that in this post.
PA11 and PA12 are engineering plastics with similar properties. The various manufacturers have similar product ranges with many grades covering a wide range of flexibility, from highly plasticized to glass or carbon fiber filled. They are often specified for the same types of applications, sometimes interchangeably. PA11 and PA12 are made from monomers that come from different sources. PA11’s monomer is derived from the oil of the castor plant, which is grown in large quantities in India, Brazil and other countries. PA12 is entirely petroleum based, with the monomer synthesized starting with the commodity chemical butadiene.
PA11 was commercialized first around 1955 by what is now Arkema (France). The process for the monomer was patented, and the polymer was available only from Arkema which is still the sole producer of PA11, probably due to the highly complex monomer synthesis process. Seeing the technical advantages and commercial value of this new long-chain nylon polymer, several chemical companies began working on a competitive product, but since there was a strong patent file on PA11 they focused on other polyamides with similar monomer chain lengths. PA12 was commercialized in 1966 by what are now Evonik Industries (Germany) and EMS Grivory (Switzerland). Arkema introduced their own PA12 product in 1971, and Ube Industries (Japan) introduced their PA12 in 1979.
The materials have similar performance in most applications. For natural gas distribution pipe both materials have earned a hydrostatic design basis of 3150 psi at room temperature and 1600 psi at 80° C. Although similar, they are different enough that they should never be mixed together for processing. There are rumors that pipes of the two different materials can be joined by electrofusion and butt fusion, but there have been no published results of such studies.
If you want to know more about PA11 and PA12, contact me for a discussion.
During the past 6 years several manufacturers of PA12 evaluated that material for the same application, and there are several trial installations operating around the country. Based on the results of the trials and laboratory work, the proponents of PA12 hope to have Title 49 CFR Part 192 amended with PA12-specific language. I have been frequently asked to explain the difference between PA11 and PA12. I will briefly do that in this post.
PA11 and PA12 are engineering plastics with similar properties. The various manufacturers have similar product ranges with many grades covering a wide range of flexibility, from highly plasticized to glass or carbon fiber filled. They are often specified for the same types of applications, sometimes interchangeably. PA11 and PA12 are made from monomers that come from different sources. PA11’s monomer is derived from the oil of the castor plant, which is grown in large quantities in India, Brazil and other countries. PA12 is entirely petroleum based, with the monomer synthesized starting with the commodity chemical butadiene.
PA11 was commercialized first around 1955 by what is now Arkema (France). The process for the monomer was patented, and the polymer was available only from Arkema which is still the sole producer of PA11, probably due to the highly complex monomer synthesis process. Seeing the technical advantages and commercial value of this new long-chain nylon polymer, several chemical companies began working on a competitive product, but since there was a strong patent file on PA11 they focused on other polyamides with similar monomer chain lengths. PA12 was commercialized in 1966 by what are now Evonik Industries (Germany) and EMS Grivory (Switzerland). Arkema introduced their own PA12 product in 1971, and Ube Industries (Japan) introduced their PA12 in 1979.
The materials have similar performance in most applications. For natural gas distribution pipe both materials have earned a hydrostatic design basis of 3150 psi at room temperature and 1600 psi at 80° C. Although similar, they are different enough that they should never be mixed together for processing. There are rumors that pipes of the two different materials can be joined by electrofusion and butt fusion, but there have been no published results of such studies.
If you want to know more about PA11 and PA12, contact me for a discussion.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Offshore Technology Conference Impressions
This week is the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas. This is an enormous and important event at which the latest advances in technology for offshore oil and gas exploration and production are publicly presented, and usually for the first time.
I attended Monday through Wednesday, and can say that compared to recent years the attendance is very good and there is a spirit of optimism for the future despite the recent and tragic BP platform fire and subsequent major leak of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. I saw very, very few BP engineers at the conference, especially compared to prior years. I am sure it is “all hands on deck” in BP’s engineering departments. A BOP failure is such a rare event that they must be looking at every component in the system, including the human factor and the complex software that assists with platform operation.
General Electric (GE) Energy was probably the largest single exhibitor on the vast trade show floor of the Reliant Center. They have grown by acquisition into a massive oilfield equipment supplier. They showed full-sized 30-foot tall wellhead hardware, downhole completion tools, pipeline tools, full-scale gas turbine generators, and a huge array of other products vital to offshore production operations.
Plastics were well represented with numerous vendors showing high performance thermoplastics such as PEEK, fluoropolymers, and engineering polyamides. In addition to the array of precision part fabricators, the advanced resin developers such as DuPont, Evonik, Solvay Solexis, Victrex, Arkema, and AGC were showing their latest developments in high temperature, chemically resistant materials. It seems that interest in high performance plastics in oil and gas is only on the increase.
Finally, China had a huge presence at the show. There were so many exhibit booths from Chinese manufacturing companies that I lost count after about 100. They were showing products that were very much like the components and assemblies being sold by North American and European manufacturers, clearly with the aim of gaining share in this worldwide market.
I attended Monday through Wednesday, and can say that compared to recent years the attendance is very good and there is a spirit of optimism for the future despite the recent and tragic BP platform fire and subsequent major leak of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. I saw very, very few BP engineers at the conference, especially compared to prior years. I am sure it is “all hands on deck” in BP’s engineering departments. A BOP failure is such a rare event that they must be looking at every component in the system, including the human factor and the complex software that assists with platform operation.
General Electric (GE) Energy was probably the largest single exhibitor on the vast trade show floor of the Reliant Center. They have grown by acquisition into a massive oilfield equipment supplier. They showed full-sized 30-foot tall wellhead hardware, downhole completion tools, pipeline tools, full-scale gas turbine generators, and a huge array of other products vital to offshore production operations.
Plastics were well represented with numerous vendors showing high performance thermoplastics such as PEEK, fluoropolymers, and engineering polyamides. In addition to the array of precision part fabricators, the advanced resin developers such as DuPont, Evonik, Solvay Solexis, Victrex, Arkema, and AGC were showing their latest developments in high temperature, chemically resistant materials. It seems that interest in high performance plastics in oil and gas is only on the increase.
Finally, China had a huge presence at the show. There were so many exhibit booths from Chinese manufacturing companies that I lost count after about 100. They were showing products that were very much like the components and assemblies being sold by North American and European manufacturers, clearly with the aim of gaining share in this worldwide market.
Monday, April 12, 2010
ENGINEERING PLASTICS CONSULTANT BRIDGES GAPS IN KNOW-HOW DURING UPTURN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BIRDSBORO, PA, April 12, 2010 – Leading engineering plastics professional Jim Mason announces the launch of Mason Materials Development, LLC, a full service consulting firm serving the technical and new business development needs of the users, developers, and converters of the plastics and engineered materials industries.
“As the economy slowly turns around, companies that had downsized are looking to add resources without a long term commitment,” said Mason, 52. They need experienced professionals that can deliver a high quality product quickly to help them keep pace with the recovery – but on a short term basis. Our commitment is to helping clients find their preferred solutions, quickly, creatively, and cost-effectively.”
“During the economic downturn many firms had to make deep cuts in their experienced technical and new business development staff just to survive,” said Mason. “We can backfill that capability on an as-needed basis while business and confidence improves before restoring permanent staff. As our slogan says, we extend your reach.”
Mason Materials Development specializes in providing solutions to industries including oil and gas, automotive, pipeline, chemical process, composites, medical devices, and polymer electronic materials. The organization features comprehensive expertise in the application of plastics in the most challenging of environments.
“We are well positioned to work with the client’s team to integrate our know-how into their products and processes, while developing strong working relationships at every level. Our deep experience in industrial product support and development gives us the client’s perspective, and that enhances our effectiveness,” said Mason.
For information, contact
Jim Mason
3 Mansion Court East
Birdsboro, PA 19508
(610) 203-0043
jim.mason@MasonMaterialsDevelopment.com
XXX
BIRDSBORO, PA, April 12, 2010 – Leading engineering plastics professional Jim Mason announces the launch of Mason Materials Development, LLC, a full service consulting firm serving the technical and new business development needs of the users, developers, and converters of the plastics and engineered materials industries.
“As the economy slowly turns around, companies that had downsized are looking to add resources without a long term commitment,” said Mason, 52. They need experienced professionals that can deliver a high quality product quickly to help them keep pace with the recovery – but on a short term basis. Our commitment is to helping clients find their preferred solutions, quickly, creatively, and cost-effectively.”
“During the economic downturn many firms had to make deep cuts in their experienced technical and new business development staff just to survive,” said Mason. “We can backfill that capability on an as-needed basis while business and confidence improves before restoring permanent staff. As our slogan says, we extend your reach.”
Mason Materials Development specializes in providing solutions to industries including oil and gas, automotive, pipeline, chemical process, composites, medical devices, and polymer electronic materials. The organization features comprehensive expertise in the application of plastics in the most challenging of environments.
“We are well positioned to work with the client’s team to integrate our know-how into their products and processes, while developing strong working relationships at every level. Our deep experience in industrial product support and development gives us the client’s perspective, and that enhances our effectiveness,” said Mason.
For information, contact
Jim Mason
3 Mansion Court East
Birdsboro, PA 19508
(610) 203-0043
jim.mason@MasonMaterialsDevelopment.com
XXX
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