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NEWSMAKERS
* AI * Aliaxis * Aquatherm * BAUKO * Borealis * Borouge Group International (BGI) * Braskem * Class Action * DieDraw (UK) * D.R. Horton * EPA * ExcelPlas * Experts.App * Failure Analysis * Faisal Alfaqeer * Hydrogen Transport * Iran Conflict * Pioneer Lining Technology (PLT) * Polymer Pipe Failures * PP-R Pipes * Reece Plumbing * SABIC * SCG (Thailand) * Typlex Failures * UPONOR * US-EPA * VOCs * Watermark
* AI * Aliaxis * Aquatherm * BAUKO * Borealis * Borouge Group International (BGI) * Braskem * Class Action * DieDraw (UK) * D.R. Horton * EPA * ExcelPlas * Experts.App * Failure Analysis * Faisal Alfaqeer * Hydrogen Transport * Iran Conflict * Pioneer Lining Technology (PLT) * Polymer Pipe Failures * PP-R Pipes * Reece Plumbing * SABIC * SCG (Thailand) * Typlex Failures * UPONOR * US-EPA * VOCs * Watermark
BREAKING NEWS
US-EPA Adds Microplastics from Plastic Pipes and Fittings to Draft Regulatory Watch List
On April 02, 2026, EPA published the draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6). The CCL is a list of contaminants that are currently not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulations but are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems. Contaminants listed on the CCL may require future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act
SABIC Appoints Penn State PhD in Materials Science and Engineering as New CEO
LEGAL NEWS
Homeowners in US Accusing One of the Nation’s Largest Home Builders of Selling Them Houses with Defective PEX Plumbing
UPONOR Hit with More Defective PEX Pipes Claims (DECLASSIFIED) [PDF]
PP-R Pipe Supplier Aquatherm Court Case Fallout
In the King County Court case on failures of PP-R pipes, Aquatherm confirmed that it had provided all of the relevant manufacturing documents. But Aquatherm did not inform the County that there was a second recipe used in at least some of the pipe at the KCCF. In September 2021, the County first learned of the potential existence of a second recipe when Aquatherm’s expert Dr. Graeme George wrote in his report that certain pipes installed at the KCCF used an “alternative stabilization system.” This report was the first time Aquatherm had mentioned the potential existence of another recipe. The trial court found on two occasions that Aquatherm engaged in discovery violations and entered sanction orders. The first discovery sanction concerned Aquatherm’s failure to disclose the existence of a second recipe used in the Aquatherm pipe installed at the KCCF. In a parallel proceeding being litigated in King County concerning Aquatherm pipe failures at the Via6 apartments, Aquatherm offered testimony that there was only one recipe used for its plastic pipe sold in the United States and told the County in this case to rely on that testimony. The County eventually learned of the existence of a second recipe used in the pipe at the KCCF. The trial court concluded that Aquatherm violated the discovery rules by failing to disclose the second recipe, which the trial court concluded was willful and substantially prejudicial to the County. The court considered various sanctions but ultimately ordered that certain facts were deemed established and personally sanctioned one of Aquatherm’s attorneys, Anne Cohen, $18,000. After a six-week trial, on June 29, 2023, the jury returned a verdict for the County finding that Aquatherm violated the WPLA and CPA. The jury awarded the County $18 mill.
INDUSTRY NEWS
America’s Largest Homebuilder Faces Claims of ‘Defective Pipes’ Made from Crosslinked PE
PEX Pipe Failures Signal Systemic Quality Risks Across Its Massive Build Portfolio
Section of PE Pipe to be Tested to Figure Out Why it Failed Ahead of Centreville House Explosion
Assessing Water Quality Impacts of Wildfire-Induced Depressurization in Water Systems: VOC Analysis Results
Polymer pipes yielded higher VOC concentrations than the galvanized steel, suggesting that multiple mechanisms (including adsorption, deposition, and thermal material degradation) contributed to VOCs detected, as metal materials are largely inert at the temperatures reached.
Egypt Advances Local Manufacturing, Technology Transfer in Polymer Pipes
The discussions focused on collaboration in manufacturing pipelines, piping systems, fittings, and inspection chambers, as well as transferring and localising BAUKO’s technology for producing high-strength, high-pressure pipes made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP). The meeting also reviewed BAUKO’s work plan and foreign investments, exploring mechanisms to localise production of pipeline systems, spiral-wound pipes, plastic-formed pipes, and composite materials such as HDPE reinforced with fiberglass or steel wire.
Innovative PE100 Pipe Research Backed by Consultancy & Comprehensive Project Design Services
Reece Pushes 36% Price Rise on Plastic Pipes in Building Cost Shock
OMV & ADNOC Form Borouge Group, World’s 4th-Largest Polyolefin Producer
Performance Polymers Improve Midstream Pipeline and Gas Gathering Systems
WaterMark Publish New Schedule of Plastic Pipes and Fittings for WaterMark Certification Scheme (2026)
HYDROGEN TRANSPORT
Hydrogen Permeation Behaviour in Polymer-Based Pipeline Materials for Renewable Energy Applications
Comparative analysis confirms PA12 has smaller hydrogen-accessible free volume and lower permeability than HDPE, thus GIVING superior hydrogen barrier performance
NEW PATENTS
SCG (Thailand) Develops Innovative Multimodal HDPE for Pipes
Novel Electrofusion (EF) Fittings for Integrity Monitoring of HDPE Lined Pipes
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