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Polymeric Materials and Ageing through Permeation Processes

Mon, 25 November, 2024

‘Regular Solution Theory for Polymer Permeation Transients: A Toolkit for Understanding Experimental Waveshapes,’ was published by the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) journal, Langmuir, 36, 2020. The paper was co-written by TWI Technology Fellow, Dr Bernadette Craster alongside lead author Professor Jay D Wadhawan, University of Hull. Contributions were also made by Dr Nathan S Lawrence and Professor Stephen M Kelly, then from the University of Hull.

The published article discusses the importance of the accurate measurement of permeation when designing a range of assets across various industries, including for oil and gas produced fluids, such as mixtures of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, water and hydrocarbons, in polymer-lined pipe, unbonded flexible risers and flow lines through connectors and valves. Also, hydrogen and methane gas carrying domestic lines; hydrogen storage tanks; sulfurhexafluoride circuit breakers for high power-carrying lines; oxygen through display technology; and drug delivery.

The paper also notes the importance of being able to monitor the permeation rates through polymer, composite and elastomeric layers where applications allow during service. This would allow alterations in short and long term transport rates to be analysed for indications of initial alterations or degradation in polymeric as well as metallic components.

Such measurements would provide an early warning system for any changes in materials that could lead to a loss of function as a fluid or gas-containing barrier.

You can read more by following the link to the article, here.

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