Degussa Highlights VESTAMID (R) LX9020

VESTAMID(R) LX9020 of Degussa AG, Germany, is the first
polyamide 12 to be granted certification by Lloyd’s Register
for use in the manufacture of non-bonded flexible pipes for the
transport of offshore production & injection fluids, according
to the API 17 J "flexible risers" norm, and EN ISO 13628-2.
Wellstream International Limited of Great Britain, which
processed the pipeline material developed by Degussa’s High
Performance Polymers Business Unit, was the company that
received the certificate.
    With its recent certification, VESTAMID (R) LX9020 can also
be used. The compound is chemically resistant to offshore fluids
at high and low temperatures. Many of its long-term properties,
e.g., hydrolysis resistance and creep behavior, are superior to
those of the current material. The biggest advantage comes at
the processing stage: VESTAMID (R) LX9020 is delivered dry and
can be processed directly from its packaging without additional
predrying. Because of its high melt stiffness, the material
displays consistent processing behavior in the extruder. The
absence of fluctuations makes it easier to achieve large pipe
diameters given a constant overall diameter.