In recent years throughout the world, the world, the importance of plastics pipes in the design of piping systems for public and industrial water supply and sewage transport has gradually increased. This trend reflects a growing confidence in plastics as a piping material, possibly due mainly to greater worldwide knowledge and experience in this field.
The plastics are mostly manufactured on a petrochemical basis with petroleum as the raw material. In this context it may be of interest to know how the world consumption of petroleum looks. Only 4% of the world production of oil used for manufacturing plastics while 96% is burned as fuel in the fields of transportation, heating, etc.
The use of plastics is expanding rapidly, and especially in the case of plastics pipes. This is particularly true for pipes designed for water pipes and sewers outdoors and indoors. All industrial countries show the same tension. For example, it can be stated that plastics pipe production in Europe rose from about 1.4 million tonnes in 1985 to 2.6 million tonnes in 1997. The corresponding figures for USA were 1.8 million tonnes in 1986 and 2.4 million tonnes in1997.
Plastics pipe market Europe
The Further annual growth in Europe for pipes is estimated at + 7% for PE, + 10% for PP and + 2% for PVC.
The favorable price trend has also contributed to the fact that today plastics pipes are competitive with conventional pipes within the total civil engineering infrastructure branch.
Against the background of such developments, it seems sufficient to spread further knowledge of plastics pipes and hoe that should be used in a proper way for water supply and sewage disposal. Thus, the previous survey of the problems, particularly in the field of outdoor pipe applications, is hereby updated.
Cross linked polyethylene can be based upon (HDPE) as well as (MDPE). In the cross linking process the molecules are linked together by strong chemical bonds and chemical and physical cross linking methods are both available. The chemical methods examples use of cross linking agents such as peroxide, (AZO) compounds, while physical cross linking is archived by electron radiation.