Sticking plaster for pipelines

Ludwigshafen, Germany -- Dutch firm Stopaq Europe BV has developed an adhesive band that protects pipelines from corrosion and hairline cracks. The Stopaq Wrapping Band is based on a polyisobutene (PIB), called Oppanol from BASF, which makes the surface impermeable to water and gases.

The impetus for developing the band originally came from Shell, which approached Stopaq founder Frans Nooren in 1996 to see if Stopaq’s sealing material could prevent water seepage in cellars and protect pipelines from rusting. Nooren searched for a suitable material for this application and came up with Oppanol.

“From the desert to the Arctic Sea, PIB remains flexible under any climatic conditions,” claims Dr. Erwin Czech, BASF Sales Manager for polyisobutene in Europe. “For this reason, insulating tape made from Oppanol is suitable for the sheathing of pipelines on every continent.”

Pipelines are usually sealed with an epoxy resin lacquer, which according to Czech, raises health concerns. The solvents in the unprotected lacquer can readily evaporate in the heat of Saudi Arabia so that climatised tents have to be set up over the pipelines during repair work.

The Stopaq Wrapping Band is designed to overcome such problems and also ensures that grains of sand do not affect the function of the “patch,” as the PIB even adheres to extremely rough surfaces.

According to BASF, the flow properties of the PIB ensure that even the minutest of cracks is closed up, and the pipe remains sealed. The polymer also exhibits a self-healing effect if a leak in the pipeline system occurs.

Stopaq has gained customers throughout the world, primarily the Middle East. “In Saudi Arabia, we are actually the sole supplier of corrosion prevention solutions for all pipelines that run underwater — and that accounts for more than half of the entire pipeline network in the country,” states recalls Frits Doddema, the Stopaq export director.

“We are constantly pursuing the further development of our products and looking for possible new fields of application,” contined Doddema, noting that Stopaq intends to expand its future business activities still further toward Russia.