‘Hydrogen replacing natural gas – is the pipe infrastructure ready?’ is one of the topics to be addressed during the Plastic Pipes XX (PPXX) conference being held September 21 – 23, 2020 in Amsterdam.
Organisers have announced that there will be 100 presentations discussing advancements in material development, research findings, case studies, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods and for other areas concerning plastic pipe.
Arranged by the Plastic Pipe Conference Association (PPCA) and held every two years, the event is hosted by PPCA members: PE 100+ Association, the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) and The European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association (TEPPFA).
“Using its existing network of polyethylene gas pipe to transport hydrogen in the future is a critical topic in the Netherlands, and will be an important focus during our Amsterdam conference,” said Sarah Patterson of the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc., who is Co-Chair of the PPXX Organizing Committee and Chair of the Technical Program.
“The conference is planning a session that will be devoted to the investigation of polyethylene pipe when exposed to hydrogen, a study that has yielded positive results, finding the material and pipe to be capable for the task.”
A discussion about the initiatives being advocated in Europe by the Circular Plastics Alliance to support the growth of using recycled material for pipe applications will also be presented on the day. Highlighted during this session will be the goals already achieved such as new and faster test methods.
Among the other technical papers planned for presentation are the life-cycle assessment (LCA) study of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe in Thailand that includes more than 48 years of data. The results of the study have been used to gain awareness of the environmental benefits of PVC pipes relative to traditional materials used in the region.
As well as a real-life case history about the on-site extrusion of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe using a mobile plant in the west Texas USA Permian basin.
Patterson said that the conference will have three days of technical presentations covering aspects of plastic pipe systems such as raw materials, joining methods/components, processing equipment, additive/ingredients, test methods, plastic pipeline solutions, application areas, case studies, sustainability performance and latest market issues.
The Organising Committee of Plastic Pipes XX received 155 abstracts to review and selected nearly 100 for technical presentation and 15 for the poster gallery walk.
