FRP Pipes - What Are The Benefits Of Using FRP Pipes?

Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Pipes are used in various industrial product applications including the handling of materials in a corrosive environment and also the transfer of corrosive products and materials. However, the fastest growing application of FRP systems is for industrial equipment. The application of FRP pipes ranges from handling of combustible and flammable liquids at retail facilities to water and sewer mains in the industrial and municipal markets.

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Advantages of FRP Pipes

1. Corrosion resistance
FRP pipes inherit resistance to corrosion. In most cases, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics are the only material that can handle some service environment. Moreover, their resistance to corrosion is normally combined with their cost advantage to make them the most acceptable solution. Corrosion resistance of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic pipes is a function of the total resin content and the resin used in the pipe laminate. Therefore, higher resin content means more resistance to corrosion.

2. Weight advantages
FRP pipe has low weight to strength ratio, which is another distinct advantage of the FRP pipes. For the same strength, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic pipes weigh approximately half as much as aluminum and one seventh as much as stainless steel. 
Lightweight properties are vital especially when considering the ease and cost of installation of piping systems. FRP pipes’ inherent light weight is a major advantage when the equipment has to me mounted on an existing structure such as scrubbers on rooftops or mezzanines.

The high strength of FRP pipes plays a major role in the design of various FRP equipment and applications such as pultruded shapes. Moreover, the high strength combined with the light weight features make FRP pipes suitable for filament wound pipes and ducts. 

4. Economy

Lower cost is a major advantage of using FRP pipes because they offer an effective solution to corrosion at the lowest cost when compared to materials such as titanium, rubber lining and stainless steel. However, the cost advantage of such materials mainly depends on the design considerations, application, pressure involved, availability, raw material costs and product configurations.

5. Flexibility

FRP pipes are versatile in their applications is often overlooked. However, it is important to note that you can do things with Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic pipes which cannot be done effectively and economically with other readily available materials. FRP pipes can be used to mold any piece of equipment or configuration for which permanent or temporary molds can be built. For instance, duct work is quite easy with FRP pipes because you can make all types of Tee inlets, rectangular transitions, circular transitions, elbows, and flanges at minimal cost. Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic pipes can also be used to line new and existing structures.

The design of FRP systems has been greatly enhanced by using of computer software programs. These programs mainly include; chemical composition, gas flow analysis, liquid flow analysis, thrust block analysis, free span analysis, and installation information. This is very important in order to ensure that the specific requirements in different industries are fully met so as to guarantee maximum efficiency of FRP pipes.

The complete form of FRP is fiberglass reinforced plastic, which is a composite material composed of a fiber-reinforced polymer matrix. Therefore, FRP pipes are made of FRP materials through contact molding or fiber winding. Various types of resins, such as thermosetting polyester, epoxy, phenolic resin, etc., are used to obtain the final product with specific FRP pipe properties. As a corrosion-resistant metal pipe substitute, FRP piping system has been widely used worldwide. By choosing FRP as the pipe material, the need for lining, external coating and cathodic protection can be easily eliminated.

Application of fiberglass reinforced plastic pipe

Due to the high durability, corrosion resistance and medium strength of FRP pipes, its use is increasing day by day. FRP piping systems are used in different industries, such as:

ㆍDrinking water and seawater desalination industry

ㆍChemical, petrochemical, oil and gas industries.

ㆍPipes and exhaust pipes

ㆍIrrigation and sanitation services

ㆍWater distribution and delivery

ㆍMud pipeline

ㆍPower plants, etc.

Performance of FRP pipe

The main performance of FRP pipe is to make it an ideal choice for various industries in the world.

ㆍExcellent corrosion resistance

ㆍExcellent strength-to-weight ratio. It is worth noting that the strength-to-weight ratio of FRP pipes is higher than that of steel or other metal pipes.

ㆍLight weight, easy to handle and transport.

ㆍDimensional stability

ㆍDegradable

ㆍLow friction coefficient (>25% better than steel), ensuring good flow characteristics.

ㆍGood abrasion resistance

ㆍSuitable for ground and underground pipelines

ㆍResistance to biological attacks such as bacteria

Additional reading:
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ㆍNon-conductive

ㆍLow maintenance cost

FRP pipe connection

Since the length of the FRP pipe is restricted by transportation and handling, it needs to be connected. At the same time, various FRP pipe fittings need to be connected as required. The connection system of the FRP pipe shall ensure that no leakage occurs under the predetermined use conditions under the working pressure.

FRP pipe fittings

Various FRP pipe fittings are available to meet the needs of pipeline layout. Common glass steel pipe parts are:

ㆍLong radius, short radius FRP elbow

ㆍTee connection (equal tee and reducing tee)

ㆍFRP pipe flange

ㆍSteel back flange

ㆍFlange elbow

ㆍSmooth reducing elbow

ㆍSpecial bending radius

ㆍHorizontal connection

ㆍCross connect

ㆍWye Connection

ㆍReducer (eccentric and concentric)

ㆍFlange reducing agent

FRP pipe specifications

When ordering FRP pipes, the following information must be provided to the supplier:

ㆍPipe diameter

ㆍThe design and working temperature of the applied fluid.

ㆍDesign, operation, surge, vacuum, test pressure.

ㆍLive load of buried pipelines.

ㆍMaximum/minimum buried depth and trench width.

ㆍDetails of soil properties and trench preparation.

Disadvantages of FRP pipes

The main disadvantage of FRP piping system is:

ㆍIt is not recommended to use FRP pipes to transport fluids whose temperature exceeds 100°C

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