- 6 December 2006 -
Composite covers protect undersea pipes

SCOTT BADER’S Crystic® 703PA polyester resin has been used in the production of protective moulded covers for an undersea pipework project. The project is being managed by Statoil, a Norwegian supplier of crude oil and natural gas.

Crystic 703PA is a pre-accelerated dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) based polyester resin, originally developed as a vacuum injection resin. It has low viscosity and controlled exotherm characteristics.

Scott Bader Scandinavia AB supplied 42 tonnes of the resin for use in 33 pipeline covers, which have a glass content of 70% and a combined weight of 140 tonnes. The largest cover is 14 m by 12 m and 4 m high.

An infusion production process was used to pull resin under vacuum through the reinforcement to fully wet-out the glass fibre layers. The covers are fixed to the seabed on each side of the pipework run by polyester beams. The outer surfaces of the covers are finished with a yellow gel/topcoat for clear underwater identification. The smooth moulded shape of the covers offers impact protection and eradicates snagging points.

Scott Bader; www.scottbader.com

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