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Writing / Irene Vega
The conference Ozpipe 2024 It is an event derived from Plastic Pipes XXI, a prestigious world congress on plastic pipes, held last year in Florida (United States). The director of LATE Carlos Domínguez presented at this congress the paper entitled “Long term performance in PE100 and PE100RC resins - Does the comonomer length matter?”, which was selected by the organizers - among more than 100 works - as one of the best of said congress for the spin-off that will be held in Australia at the end of the year. Ozpipe 2024 is organized by the Association of Plastic Pipe Conferences (PPPA) and the Australian Plastic Pipe Industry Association (PIPA).
Together with Carlos Domínguez, Rafael Juan and Rafael A. García-Muñoz, researchers at the Rey Juan Carlos University, are co-authors of this work. The presentation includes the latest research carried out by LATEP in the development of the new ultra-resistant materials for pressure water and gas pipes (PE100RC), which represent an important development with respect to their predecessors (PE100 grades) by guaranteeing a useful life in service of more than 100 years. “The development of the PE100RC grades represents a clear improvement in the long-term performance of the conduction pipes which, in the case of water, will also mean significant savings due to the less demanding requirements for their installation, as well as the reduction of the leaks that until now the aging of the pipe produced,” highlights Carlos Domínguez.
The most innovative part of this work consists precisely in the study of the influence that the molecular structure of the polymer chain plays in improving the long-term properties of these materials.
LATEP, the first laboratory in Spain accredited for the evaluation of ultra-resistant pipe materials
Currently, LATEP is a reference laboratory both in the characterization and in research on polymeric materials. Furthermore, the URJC laboratory has been the first in Spain and its surrounding countries to be accredited for the evaluation of the Strain Hardening in pipe grades. Likewise, LATEP is currently involved in the accreditation process of new tests to certify these new materials, which will make it a reference laboratory in southern Europe for the certification of these materials.
In addition, LATEP is a member of the national standardization subcommittee CTN53/SC2 “Plastic pipes and fittings”, as well as a member of the European Committee for Standardization CEN/TC155/WG12: Pressure systems of polyolefin material for gas supply, water supply and drainage and sewerage.