Transport Behavior of Pure and Mixed Gas through Thermoplastic-Lined Pipes Materials

Abstract

Abstract To determine the permeability properties of lining materials for the design of nonmetallic pipes in oil and gas fields, we conducted a study on the transport behavior of pure and mixed gases (carbon dioxide [CO2] / methane [CH4]) through commonly used thermoplastic-lined pipe materials. The material tested were high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide (PA), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). It was observed that the permeability coefficient of the pure gas through HDPE, PA12, and PVDF increased with increasing temperature. The permeation of mixed gas with different volume fractions was also tested at different temperatures, in which the deviation between the test and the ideal state was founded. For HDPE and PVDF, the permeability coefficient of the mixed gas is higher than that of pure gas because of the plasticization effect of CO2. However, for PA12, the permeability coefficient of mixed gas is lower than that of the pure gas. This is because of the tight interaction between the chains and the competition between CO2 and CH4 for a limited number of active sites.