More Than 500 Jobs Axed by Fletcher Building

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PPN- The Leading Source of Industry News on Polymer Pipes and Plastic Pipe Testing

Global News on Plastic Piping and Fittings in Real-Time


NEWSMAKERS:  * Ageing Pipes * Aliaxis * Atkore Pipes * Borouge * BorSafe™ * Carbon Dots * Carbon Nanodots * Cross-Linked PE Pipe * EPA * ExcelPlas * Failure Analysis * FBU * Fletcher Building * Georg Fischer * GF Piping * Iplex Pipe Failures * Polybutylene Pipe Failures * Polymer Pipe Failures * Price Fixing DOJ Probe * PVC Pipes * Reliance Worldwide Corp. (RWC) * Shanghai Jurry Plastics Machinery * WA Plumbing Pipe Failures

PPN News Alerts bringing together the complete supply chain from manufacturers of resins, plastic pipes and fittings, machinery and equipment to specifiers, designers, suppliers and end-users!

BREAKING NEWS

Iplex Pipelines’ Parent Fletcher Building Cuts More than 500 Jobs as it Eyes $200m Annual Savings
About half of the job losses are in Australia

FBU Share Price Continues to Rise on Back News of Restructuring of Iplex Pipelines
Share Price Up 17% over the last month

EPA Faces Potential Misallocation of Lead Pipe Replacement Funds Due to Unverified State Data

HDPE Modified with Carbon Nanodots Show Great Potential for Plastic Pipes
Just 0.1% Carbon Nanodots in HDPE Significantly Improved Mechanical Properties, Improved Abrasion Resistance (impressive wear rate reduction of 98% !) and Increased Oxidative Stability

LEGAL NEWS

PVC Pipe Giant Atkore Discloses Dept. of Justice Grand Jury Probe
Atkore Inc.’s antitrust woes have grown from civil price-fixing litigation targeting the company’s PVC pipe manufacturing, according to a new investor filing disclosing a U.S. Department of Justice criminal investigation

Atkore Stock Alert: Securities Class Action Filed – Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. Investigating Securities and Fiduciary Duty Breach Claims
Lawyers are examining whether certain officers and directors breached their fiduciary duties by failing to manage Atkore properly and whether their actions resulted in harm to the Company and its shareholders.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Borouge Granted US Patent for HDPE Pipe Resin with Improved Sagging Resistance

China Making World’s Largest Diameter PVC-U Water Pipe (OD 2000 mm)
Shanghai Jurry Plastics Machinery Co., Ltd releases world’s largest PVC-U pipe extrusion line with a production capability of OD 2000mm – including an online socketing system

Uzbekistan to Launch First Cross-linked Polyethylene Pipe Production

Water Company Leak Correlation Trials Deliver Efficiencies

NEW PATENTS

Georg Fischer Patent Novel Plastic Pipe Welding Accessory Guide

Georg Fischer Germany Patent Electrofusion Couplers for a Double Pipe System

Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC) Patent New Method for Producing PEX-a Pipe

PVC PIPES

Fragility Curve Can Provide the Probability of a PVC Pipe Experiencing Minor Leaks, Major Leaks, or Breaks, Given a Specific Hazard Loading

Common Phosphite Stabilizer and its Oxidation Product Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) Phosphate Is the Key Toxicant in Aged Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics to Wheat Roots

PLASTIC PIPE CONSULTANTS

Plastic Pipe Consulting Experts and Services
If you need a team of pipe plastic experts, then ExcelPlas Consulting is the obvious choice – our size is our strength in a market dominated by single consultants.
We provide services on everything from material selection, product testing, processing to failure analysis
https://www.excelplas.com/contact-us/

Plastic Pipe Failure – Solve Problems, Limit Damage and Avoid Future Failures
Where polymer pipes are used in engineering applications, reliable and consistent performance is critically important. Failure can have damaging and expensive consequences. We offer expertise in materials properties and durability – with a range of specialist testing and analysis.
 ExcelPlas Labs can help you:

• Understand plastic pipe materials and test their performance properties and durability
• Specify and select polymers based on service requirements
• Understand and recognise how plastic pipes and fittings can fail
• Appreciate how to investigate plastic pipe failures
https://www.excelplas.com/contact-us/

PIPE FAILURE ANALYSIS

ExcelPlas Investigating Poly Pipe Failures
Through failure analysis & forensic chemistry, we help clients improve product performance, increase profits, & resolve product liability claims with plastic pipes and fittings.
We are dedicated to unmatched excellence in failure analysis, investigative chemistry, material testing, and expert witnessing for plastics, polymers and composites.
With over 30 years of investigative experience, the staff at ExcelPlas are uniquely positioned to help clients resolve the most challenging performance and processing issues related to materials and finished pipes and fittings.
https://www.excelplas.com/contact-us/

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ExcelPlas Labs Pipe Failure Investigations
ExcelPlas Labs have created a new benchmark in failure analysis of HDPE, PP-R, PB and PEX pipes in addition to PVC &  CPVC pipes as well as composite GRP and GRE pipes.  When a plastic pipeline fails to perform as intended, our team can determine the root cause of failure (e.g.  oxidative failure, chemical failure, creep failure, over-stress failure, fatigue failure, design failure, etc).  ExcelPlas are experienced with all plastic piping failure modes and mechanisms including Slow Crack Growth (SCG) Rapid Crack Propagation (RCP), Environmental Stress Crack Resistance (ESCR), Oxidative Stress Cracking (OSC), cyclic fatigue, manufacturing defects, and polymer material problems.
http://www.excelplas.com/

ExcelPlas Strain Hardening Test (SHT) for HDPE Pipes
The SHT in accordance with ISO 18488 is a relatively new, but excellent way to obtain a rapid indication of the Stress Crack Growth (SCG) resistance of your piping material. This tensile test performed at 80°C has become in just a few years the new standard for Batch Release Testing (BRT). And not without reason.  The test requires only a very small amount of material, the results are very reliable with a very low inter-laboratory scatter and the results are available within a few days, regardless of the PE grade. The SHT is usually performed on resin material but it can also be performed on samples taken directly from pipes or sheets. As accredited lab, EXCELPLAS is happy to discuss the possibilities with you, whether it is for BRT, benchmarking, quality control of your (high performing) PE grade or for polymer compliance/ validation.
http://www.excelplas.com/

Australia’s Plastic Pipe Testing Laboratory
ExcelPlas Laboratories provides a comprehensive plastic pipe joint testing service and is equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory to test a range of polymer materials including polyethylene and polypropylene. ExcelPlas can carry out testing on plastic tube and pipe ranging in wall thickness from 3mm to 1200mm. ExcelPlas Laboratories provide a comprehensive service to Industrial & commercial companies, environmental consultants, Government bodies, and local Authority customers throughout Australia and Asia. All testing is carried and out in accordance with ASTM, ISO & WIS methods and is fully accredited to ISO 17025 by NATA.

  • Butt Fusion Weld Testing
  • Weld Testing
  • Testing of Electro-fusion Welds
  • Tear on saddle joints
  • Crush De-cohesion of Electro-fusion welds
  • Polymer & Plastics Identification
  • Chemical & Thermal Testing
  • Site Audits

http://www.excelplas.com/

ExcelPlas – the Australian Pipes & Fittings Testing Laboratory

  • Accredited to ISO 17025 by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) Australia, and is Australia’s largest laboratory dedicated for the testing of plastic pipes and fittings to various Standards which include Australian, European and International Standards.
  • The staff employed at the laboratory have a combined experience of more than 85 years within the plastics industry specifically with manufacturing, quality control and the research and development of plastic piping systems including HDPE, PEX, PP-R, PVC, U-PVC, M-PVC, O-PVC, ABS, GRP, GRE and PB.
  • Services provided include conformance testing, compliance testing, batch release testing, root cause analysis for field failures and non-destructive testing of samples.

http://www.excelplas.com/

ExcelPlas Lab Specialising in HDPE Pipe Condition Monitoring, Failure Analysis and Testing
In the event of a HDPE buttweld or electrofusion weld failing during initial testing, or in service, we can conduct investigations to assist in identifying the root cause of the failure.
This service also extends to the premature failure of the pipe or fitting itself.
http://www.excelplas.com/plastic-pipes

ExcelPlas Pipe Testing is a Leader in the Field of Polyethylene (PE) and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Testing
ExcelPlas is accredited with the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for butt weld tests, bend and tensile tests, peel decohesion tests on electro fusion sockets and failure mode determination
http://www.polypipetesting.com.au/butt-fusion-welds/

New UHMWPE Pipe for Tailing Offers Greater Than 4X the Abrasion Resistance of PE100 (Australia wide)
http://slurrypipes.com.au/

ExcelPlas Poly Pipe Weld Inspection Lists Top 7 Causes of Weld Failure:

  • Lack of scraping
  • Inaccurate scraping
  • Contamination from dirt, water, oil or clays
  • Lack of Paralell-ness of fusion faces
  • Misalignment of surfaces
  • Time, temperature and pressure deviations
  • Not adhering to cool times

We have extensive experience in inspection of poly pipe welds for assuring welded joint quality.  Direct Poly Pipe Inspection ensures that operators are following the proven welding procedure; this reduces the occurrences of operational errors which lead to defects such as inclusions, lack of fusion (LoF), porosity and misalignment.
More information, contact [email protected]

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