- Orientation with air: safe and clean
- PVC-O pipes up to 800mm and PN 12.5 to 25 bar
- Molecor at #NPE2015
Oriented PVC material is stronger and tougher than PVC-U and provides better overall performance. It has approximately twice the strength and ten times more impact resistance than PVC-U. But technical limitations and poor efficiency in their manufacturing process has been an obstacle to mass production and the use of PVC-O pipes in general. However, these limitations have been overcome with the employment of the new air process of molecular orientation developed by Molecor which now enables pressure pipes to be produced up to DN 800mm (30″) for medium and high-pressure (PN 12.5 to 25 bar).
Orientation with air: safe and clean
Molecor PVC-O pipes are obtained from conventional PVC pipes after the molecular orientation process. This is a physical process that stretches the material and under certain conditions of pressure, temperature and speed, reorganises the polymer molecules achieving a laminar structure. The use of air during the production has many advantages: the process is clean, safe and faster. Possible leakages do not pose a problem and the use of expensive stainless steel or anticorrosive material is no longer necessary. This new alignment brings strength and other mechanical properties, among them impact resistance, hydrostatic resistance (up to twice the nominal pressure) and higher hydraulic capacity (between 15% and 40% more than pipes made from other materials and with similar external diameter).
The molecular orientation process reduces the thickness of the pipe wall, giving PVC-O pipes a larger internal diameter and flow section. Due to the higher flexibility, the pipes can withstand deformation of up to 100% of their internal diameter. This reduction in raw material requirements can bring savings of up to 50%, and makes the pipes lighter and easier to handle during transport and installation. Global pricing competition and the national PVC-O standardisation are making of PVC-O an attractive alternative to other kinds of pipes.
The molecular orientation process reduces the thickness of the pipe wall, giving PVC-O pipes a larger internal diameter and flow section.
PVC-O pipes up to 800mm are possible
In order to further increase production speed and lower energy consumption especially for larger diameter pipes, Molecor has developed a new system based on the previous air system. The result is the “M-OR-P 3180″, a system able to manufacture pipes ranging from 315mm (12″) to 800mm (30”).
Large diameters of up to 800mm are now possible for PVC-O pipes.
Molecor is exhibiting at #NPE2015, introducing the latest developments in PVC-O technology.
Main picture: example of orientated PVC-O pipe (photos: Molecor)
