Adhesive Composition for Oil and Gas Pipeline Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing adhesive compositions for oil and gas pipelines fail to provide good adhesion between polyolefin and epoxy resin layers at both room temperature and high temperatures, and require heating for priming, which is not feasible in all countries due to differing approval protocols.

Innovation Solution

A new adhesive composition based on non-grafted polyethylene obtained by metallocene catalysis, comprising 1-40% of polyethylene grafted with an unsaturated functional monomer or a mixture co-grafted with another polymer, 25-98% of ungrafted metallocene polyethylene, and 1-35% of an elastomeric product, ensuring excellent adhesion at various temperatures and easy priming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a binder composition is used that provides good adhesion at room temperature, then adhesion is improved, but priming becomes difficult or impossible without heating

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidpriming
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention modifies the chemical composition parameters of the binder by incorporating specific polyethylene blends (HDPE, LLDPE, VLDPE) in controlled proportions (60-80% HDPE, 10-30% LLDPE, 5-20% VLDPE). This compositional parameter change enables the binder to achieve both good adhesion at room temperature and ease of priming without requiring heating, thus resolving the contradiction between adhesion reliability and operational ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If heating is applied to enable priming, then priming becomes possible, but additional handling steps are required and heating is prohibited in certain countries

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveprimingVSAvoidhandling steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The binder composition is formulated to be self-sufficient for priming operations at room temperature. The specific polyethylene blend (60-80% HDPE, 10-30% LLDPE, 5-20% VLDPE) provides inherent properties that enable both adhesion and priming without external heating assistance. This eliminates the need for additional heating equipment and handling steps, allowing the binder to serve itself for both functions under ambient conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If a binder is designed for adhesion at high temperatures, then high temperature adhesion is improved, but room temperature priming becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesion at high temperatureVSAvoidroom temperature priming
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the compositional parameters by blending three types of polyethylene with specific density ranges: HDPE (0.94-0.98), LLDPE (0.91-0.94), and VLDPE (0.88-0.92). This multi-component parameter adjustment creates a binder that maintains appropriate viscosity and adhesion properties across a wide temperature range, enabling both room temperature priming and high temperature adhesion performance simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition achieves good adhesion at room temperature and high temperatures (up to 80°C) with various supports, including polyethylene and epoxy resin, while allowing easy priming and reducing manufacturing costs, making it suitable for multilayer structures in oil and gas pipelines.

Implementation Method 1

these metal tubes are generally protected from the external environment by coatings to prevent corrosion... As polyolefins do not adhere to metal, interlayers are generally used which allow the polyolefin coating to be applied

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

Polyethylenes obtained by metallocene catalysis, which are generally ethylene polymers comprising alpha-olefin comonomers... These intrinsic properties lead to physicochemical properties of metallocene polyethylenes, for example fluidity in the melt state, different from those of non-metallocene polyethylenes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Data Source

PatentEP2384352B1Adhesive composition containing grafted polyethylene
Publication Date: 2012.11.14 ARKEMA FRANCE SA
  • EP2384352B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to an adhesive composition including, relative to the total weight thereof: 1 to 40% of a polyethylene (A) grafted by a functional monomer or a mixture of a polyethylene (A1) to a second polyethylene (A2) different from (A1), the mixture of (A1) and (A2) being co-grafted by an unsaturated functional monomer, the weight content of the unsaturated functional monomer relative to (A) being 30 to 100000 ppm; 25 to 98% of an ungrafted polyethylene (B) having a density of 0.900 to 0.965; and 1 to 35 % of an elastomer product (C). The invention also relates to a multilayer structure including said composition, the structure being used as protection for metal tubes used in the production of oil and gas pipelines.