PROCESSING
Enhancing Oil and Gas Equipment
Through Engineering Polymers and
Material Selection
When considering the arduous characteristics of the oil and gas environment, the use of Nylacast’s
engineered products and materials technology is proven to greatly enhance the performance, efficiency
and safety of many applications from subsea pipelines and tiebacks through to christmas trees, bend
restrictors and buoyancy elements, to name but a few.
O
ften used in the development of new
applications and equipment, Nylacast’s
materials technology is renowned to replace
traditional materials used within industry, such
as steel, iron and bronze. The use of engineering
polymers allows for many advantages including
high dimensional stability and low weight
(almost 1/7th the weight of steel). Engineering
polymers are also highly resistant to wear and
abrasion, in addition to having a high chemical
and corrosion resistance, particularly suitable
for the subsea environment. Furthermore,
Engineering Polymers offer the quality of
self-lubrication and a very low co-efficient of
friction, resulting in both smoother, longer
running components and applications along
with reduced or eliminated maintenance needs
and costs.
The word “Polymer” has conflicting perceptions
in different areas and industries of the world.
In some regions it is perceived as being a
pioneering material used within safety critical
and value adding applications, in other regions it
is stereotyped as a plastic; mechanically inferior
Typical ROV components developed from engineering polymers.
materials used for high volume, low grade
items. In fact both perceptions are correct
due to the fact that the word Polymer is very
generic; there are thousands of different
grades and types of polymers which fall
under different groups, from semi-crystalline
commodity thermoplastics through to
amorphous high performance thermoplastics.
The value a material can bring is dependent on
what you require it to do.
Specifically related to the oil & gas
environment there is a considerable number
of applications and components traditionally
manufactured from metals such as steel, which
are today manufactured from engineered
polymers. This stretches from subsea pipe
centralizers and bundle spacers through to
flexible riser protectors and J Tube seals.
Polymers are proven to add value through
many methods ranging from their low weight
and noise dampening qualities, through to
having corrosion and chemical resistance
and being available in high visibility colours.
However there are areas of this environment
still using traditional materials, which may
meet basic application requirements, but lack
in delivering significant performance and
efficiency advantages at the same time.
Nylacast engineered products.
Nylacast work closely with customers across
the industry to understand the end use and
application requirements before providing
material selection advice. A key element