Dow Products for

3LPE Steel Pipe Coating

DOW™ HDPE 12110G

AMPLIFY™ GR 320

Copyright © The Dow Chemical Company (2010). All Rights Reserved.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow
The following paper introduces
a new three layer polyethylene
(3LPE) steel pipe coating system
suited for high temperature
pipeline applications.
Reference projects indicate a good
long-term performance of the
DOW™ HDPE 12110G /
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 system in
combination with different fusion
bonded epoxy materials.
Plastic can be used to coat steel
pipes in oil and gas applications
and thus help minimize the
potential for corrosion of
underground steel pipes. The
plastic coating system typically
consists of three layers:
• Fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) on
the surface of the steel pipe
• Adhesive
• Top coat made from
polyethylene or polypropylene
As the main focus of steel
pipe coating is on corrosion
protection, the polyolefin raw
Figure 1  Winding Technology for Three Layer Steel Pipe Coating.
Source: Dow
materials must contribute to
the performance of the coating
during the entire lifetime of the
pipeline, ensuring protection
against extreme external
conditions, mechanical impacts
or degradation by heat or UV
irradiation. Critical parameters
for the polyolefin materials
are excellent adhesion and
adhesion retention, durability,
crack resistance and long-term
stability but also low levels of
built-in stress during the coating
process.
The black polyethylene topcoat
material DOW™ HDPE 12110G
and the grafted adhesive resin
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 can help
deliver the required performance
combined with very good
processing in the main coating
technologies, shown in figure 1
and 2.
Figure 2  Hose-Stretch Technology for Three Layer Steel
Pipe Coating. Source: Dow
Dow’s polyolefin materials
for Steel Pipe Coating add
to Dow’s portfolio for the
pipeline industry:
• Dow Coating Materials
provides the pipeline
industry with Epoxy raw
materials that deliver
long term corrosion
protection across a wide
range of pipeline service
temperatures.
• Dow Hyperlast provides
Flow Assurance Systems
for both offshore and
onshore pipelines. Dow
Hyperlast has a 25 year
track record of success,
and its Flow Assurance
Systems have been used in
more than 450 successful
projects.
• Dow Oil & Gas offers
chemical technologies and
technical expertise to help
solve challenges in the
global oil and gas industry.
1. DURABILITY
AND IMROVED
PROCESSING –
BLACK TOPCOAT
MATERIAL DOW™
HDPE 12110G
Traditionally polyethylene
materials for the three layer
pipeline coating have been based
on low density polyethylene,
LDPE. Some are still used today
but during the last 10 years the
industry moved towards medium
density MDPE or high density
HDPE. Main reasons for the
change include higher operating
temperatures for the pipelines
and better understanding of
the needs in crack and impact
resistance at high and low
temperatures, e.g. under
extreme climatic conditions.
The specific product design When comparing extruder output
of DOW™ HDPE 12110G for the same materials
makes it possible to combine DOW™ HDPE 12110G shows
excellent ESCR and excellent a very good output
flow behavior for exceptional characteristics, comparable to
processing on high output best competitive HDPE resins,
extruders. In figure 3 rheology as shown in figure 4.
results for DOW™ HDPE 12110G
are compared with competitive
HDPE resins.
Log
Viscosity
(Pa s)
4
DOW™ HDPE 12110G
Competitive HDPE 1
3
Competitive HDPE 2

Together with indentation

resistance, long-term thermal -1 0 1 2

and UV resistance these are Log Shear Rate (1/s)

reflected in national, international

or company standards. Figure 3  Rheology for DOW™ HDPE 12110G and Competitive HDPE´s at 220 °C.
Source: Dow

Output 6
(kg/h)
DOW™ HDPE 12110G
Competitive HDPE 1
5
Competitive HDPE 2

Troester Extruder 45 mm
2
Figure 4  Extruder Output for DOW™ HDPE 12 14 16 18
12110G and Competitive HDPE´s at 220 °C. RPM
Source: Dow
2. Durability
and Adhesion
– Grafted
Adhesive
Amplify™ Gr 320
Dow has a long history in
the development of grafted
polyolefin adhesives that
can help provide excellent
performance in multilayer
systems with polar substrates
like polyamide or EVOH but also
metals, e.g aluminum. Dow’s
portfolio of Functional Polymers
includes AMPLIFY EA ethylene-
acrylate copolymers, AMPLIFY
IO ionomers and AMPLIFY GR
grafted polyolefin resins that
are used in a wide range of
applications from packaging
and automotive compounds to
multilayer pipes.
%εB 1000
800
600
400
200
0
0 48 96
* Minimum 25 % of initial elongation at break εB (t0)
Polyethylene based adhesives
for three layer steel pipe
coating have been in the focus
for the last 10 years. Based
on a good understanding of
fundamental market needs
Dow has introduced high
performance adhesives that can
provide excellent peel strength
performance at temperatures
up to 80 °C. The higher service
temperature of pipelines defined
the need for specific maleic
anhydride grafted formulations
that are able to combine high
peel strength at elevated
temperatures with good
processing characteristics, but
also exhibit excellent long-term
thermal stability.
Based on oven ageing testing of
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 at elevated
temperatures of 100 °C and
110 °C, a lifetime expectation
of minimum 50 years can be
calculated and predicted for
this adhesive. As shown in
figure 5, the material passes
110°C
100°C
25%*
312 768 1536 6144 8760 12288 17520 24576 26304
Figure 5  Oven Ageing Results on AMPLIFY™ GR 320.
Source: Dow
the control points at 1 year for
110 °C and 3 years at 100 °C
with elongation at break higher
than the 25 % minimum.
Lifetime extrapolation was
based on ISO 21003, part 2,
annex D, with extrapolation time
limits and factors according to
EN ISO 9080, table 2.
For lifetime extrapolation two
calculations could be made.
At 110 °C, 40 °C above
permanent service temperature,
a factor of 50 can be applied,
> 8760 h corresponds to
minimum 50 years lifetime at
70 °C. At 100 °C, 30 °C above
permanent service temperature,
a factor of 18 can be applied,
> 26304 h corresponds to
minimum 54 years lifetime at
70 °C.
3. DEVELOPMENT AMPLIFY™ GR 320 but also
OF A HIGH for testing its compatibility
PERFORMANCE with a number of epoxy resins
3LPE COATING that are used in the global
SYSTEM steel pipe coating industry.
During the process all the steps
were followed that are used
The lab coating line, as shown in a large scale coating plant:
in figure 6, allows the coating Blasting, heating, powder epoxy
of 170 mm pipes. It was used application, adhesive application
to help optimize processing and via extrusion or powder
peel strength performance of spraying, toplayer extrusion and
winding, and water cooling.
Peel strength performance
was tested in a tensile testing
machine on 5 cm wide pipe
segments, figure 7. Cohesive
failure in the adhesive layer is
achieved.
A typical result for a 80 °C peel
strength test on the system
epoxy / DOW™ HDPE 12110G /
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 is illustrated
in figure 8.

Figure 6  Lab Coating Line for Coating of 170 mm Pipes. Figure 7  Peel Strength Testing on 50 mm Pipe Segments.
Source: Dow Source: Dow

1400 Test 1

1200
Force kN
1000

800

600

400

200
216 N/cm

0
Figure 8  Peel Strength Result for Epoxy / 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
DOW™ HDPE 12110G / AMPLIFY™ GR 320
Length mm
at 80 °C. Source: Dow
4. MEETING
STANDARDS WITH
SYSTEM DOW™
HDPE 12110G /
AMPLIFY™ GR 320
DOW™ HDPE 12110G and
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 have
been commercialized 2 years
ago based on successful
customer testing in different
plants followed by a test of
pipe samples against the
requirements of DIN 30670.
Certificates were obtained
from TÜV in Germany for
systems with different epoxy
resins. Certificates and test
results as well as a reference
list for pipeline projects coated
with DOW™ HDPE 12110G
and AMPLIFY™ GR 320 are
available. Recently coated
pipe samples with a system
including DOW™ HDPE 12110G
and AMPLIFY™ GR 320 were
tested successfully against the
requirements of national and
customer standards.
Test Condition
Peel 23 °C
Strength
60 °C
80 °C
Table 1  Typical Peel Strength Results for Different Systems Epoxy /
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 / DOW™ HDPE 12110G Compared to Customer Standard.
Source Dow
Typical peel strength values
measured for combinations of
different fusion bonded epoxy
materials with DOW™ HDPE
12110G and AMPLIFY™ GR 320
are given in table 1.
In summary the grafted
adhesive AMPLIFY™ GR 320
offers very good peel strength
performance and excellent Peel Strength Testing at Customer.
long-term stability, combined Source: Dow
with good processing
characteristics. In combination
with DOW™ HDPE 12110G,
a black topcoat material with
excellent processing and
mechanical characteristics, it
helps enable an excellent system
for the long-term protection
of steel pipes in a three layer
system with different fusion
bonded epoxy materials. The
epoxy / DOW™ HDPE 12110G Industrial Scale Steel Pipe Coating
/ AMPLIFY™ GR 320 system Using the DOW™ HDPE 12110G /
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 System.
is expected to meet the most Source: Dow
demanding standards in the
global steel pipe coating
industry.
Minimum Requirement Typical Results
Customer Standard
250 N/cm > 400 N/cm
100 N/cm > 250 N/cm
100 N/cm > 200 N/cm
5. Availability,
References and
Contact
DOW™ HDPE 12110G and
AMPLIFY™ GR 320 for three-
layer steel pipe coating systems
are fully commercially available.
If you wish to receive our most
up to date reference list, or
have questions about our steel
pipe coating offering, please
contact:
Alexey Ryabov Dr. Olaf Henschke
market manager for pipe technical leader for steel
applications in Europe, pipe coating
the Middle East and Africa Dow Europe GmbH
Dow Europe GmbH Email ohhenschke@dow.com
Email aryabov@dow.com Phone +41 447282476
Phone +41 787226721
Please visit also our website
www.dowpipes.com
 About Dow
Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with
the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company
delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in approximately 160 countries,
connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything
from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. In
2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.4 billion and employed approximately 46,000 people worldwide.
The Company has 150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and produces approximately 3,300
products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials
company with sales of $10 billion in 2008, 98 manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately
15,000 employees worldwide. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information
about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

North America NOTICE: Any photographs of end-use applications in this document represent potential end-use
U.S. & Canada 1-800-441-4369 applications but do not necessarily represent current commercial applications, nor do they represent an
1-989-832-1426 endorsement by Dow of the actual products. Further, these photographs are for illustration purposes
Mexico +1-800-441-4369 only and do not reflect either an endorsement or sponsorship of any other manufacturer for a specific
potential end-use product or application, or for Dow, or for specific products manufactured by Dow.

Latin America
NOTICE: No freedom from infringement of any patent owned by Dow or others is to be inferred.
Argentina +54-11-4319-0100 Because use conditions and applicable laws may differ from one location to another and may change
Brazil +55-11-5188-9000 with time, the Customer is responsible for determining whether products and the information in this
Colombia +57-1-219-6000 document are appropriate for the Customer’s use and for ensuring that the Customer’s workplace
Mexico +52-55-5201-4700 and disposal practices are in compliance with applicable laws and other governmental enactments.
Dow assumes no obligation or liability for the information in this document. NO WARRANTIES ARE
GIVEN; ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
Europe/Middle East +800-3694-6367 PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.
+32-3-450-2240
Italy +800-783-825 NOTICE: If products are described as “experimental” or “developmental”: (1) product specifications
may not be fully determined; (2) analysis of hazards and caution in handling and use are required;
(3) there is greater potential for Dow to change specifications and/or discontinue production; and
South Africa +800-99-5078
(4) although Dow may from time to time provide samples of such products, Dow is not obligated to
supply or otherwise commercialize such products for any use or application whatsoever.
Asia Pacific +800-7776-7776
+603-7965-5392 NOTICE REGARDING MEDICAL APPLICATION RESTRICTIONS: Dow will not knowingly sell or
sample any product or service (“Product”) into any commercial or developmental application that is
intended for:
a. long-term or permanent contact with internal bodily fluids or tissues. “Long-term” is contact
which exceeds 72 continuous hours;
b. use in cardiac prosthetic devices regardless of the length of time involved (“cardiac prosthetic
devices” include, but are not limited to, pacemaker leads and devices, artificial hearts, heart
valves, intra-aortic balloons and control systems, and ventricular bypass-assisted devices);
c. use as a critical component in medical devices that support or sustain human life; or
d. use specifically by pregnant women or in applications designed specifically to promote or
interfere with human reproduction.

Dow requests that customers considering use of Dow products in medical applications notify Dow
so that appropriate assessments may be conducted.

Dow does not endorse or claim suitability of its products for specific medical applications.
It is the responsibility of the medical device or pharmaceutical manufacturer to determine that
the Dow product is safe, lawful, and technically suitable for the intended use. DOW MAKES
NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, CONCERNING THE SUITABILITY OF ANY DOW
PRODUCT FOR USE IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS.

This document is intended for use within Euope, India, Middle East and Africa.
Published January, 2010. Printed in Switzerland.
© 2010 The Dow Chemical Company

®™Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow

®Responsible Care is a service mark of the American Chemistry Council.
Dow is a partner in the American Chemistry Council Responsible Care initiative. Form No. 003 12801 PN0110