Abstract
Dense slurry pipelines in the Canadian oil sands industry are exposed to significant wear from low-stress sliding abrasion and corrosion. Polyurethane and neoprene lined piping is an attractive alternative to extend dense slurry piping service life over the current non-metallic dense piping materials. The advantage of polyurethane and neoprenes is that they provide corrosion-protection from the aqueous slurry, good heat insulation properties and excellent low-stress sliding abrasion resistance. The mechanical properties of polyurethanes and neoprenes can be optimized for specific applications given the desired mechanical properties are known. However, there is limited information available in the industry on how the mechanical properties of polyurethanes and neoprenes affect its wear performance. There is also very limited information with the wear performance effects due to absorption of water and hydrocarbon (bitumen) contained in the oil sands slurry.
The physical properties and wear performance of four polyurethanes and five neoprene liner materials in the virgin (un-immersed) state were determined using industry testing procedures. These materials were then immersed in a typical bitumen-water slurry solution at 70°C and atmospheric and 24 barg pressures for one, four and six month durations. Physical properties and wear performance was measured for all nine samples after each immersion duration.
This paper summarizes the experimental findings, discusses the effects of a typical bitumen-water slurry solution on the wear performance of polyurethanes and neoprenes and proposes a mathematical relationship between Coriolis (low stress, low angle abrasion & scouring) wear to the relevant physical properties in the virgin state of polyurethanes and neoprenes.
