Corrosive Water Pipelines
Internally lined carbon steel pipe with welded joints is the most cost-effective, structurally-sound, long-term solution to internal corrosion. Here’s how FlexSleeve™ compares to other common solutions:
| Epoxy/Polyurethane Lining with FlexSleeve™ Welded Joints | Epoxy Lining Using Robot to Line Welded Joints | Cement Mortar Lined Pipe with Hand Patched Joints | Bare Pipe & Joints | |
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| Consistent pinhole-free lining | Yes. The joint is internally sealed from corrosion as soon as the weld is complete. | Difficult to consistently achieve pinhole-free linings at joints using thin-film epoxy over jagged internal weld surfaces. | Yes | No protection from corrosion. Not a long-term solution. |
| Construction delays | Once the weld is complete, that’s it. Construction crews can maintain their pace down the line similar to bare pipeline construction. | Robots often cause delays to construction crews while waiting for the joints to be internally lined. | Painstakingly slow and laborious to transport, handle, and construct. | N/A. The joint nor rest of pipe is protected from internal corrosion. |
| 30+ year lifespan | Yes. FlexSleeve allows for the use of ANY internal lining, including thick, flexible polyurethane linings that practically eliminate the possibility of a lining breach. | The robot currently can only line joints with thin-film epoxy, which is difficult to consistently remain pinhole-free over jagged welds for decades. | Yes | No. Water pipelines without protection from internal corrosion are generally not designed to last for more than 15 years. |
| Corrosion Allowance / Extra Pipe Wall Thickness | No | No | Extra pipe wall thickness required for partial-penetration welded joints (when gaskets are used in lieu of manual internal patching). | Yes, additional cost for thicker pipe wall, and more welding, handling, freight |
Abrasive Slurry High Pressure Pipelines
Tailings, sand, and run of mine are highly abrasive. Transporting these slurries long-distance by pipeline is now much more cost-effective with the use of SealSleeve PU™ welded joints and premium abrasion resistant pipe linings such as polyurethane or rubber.
| Polyurethane or Rubber Lining with Joint Lock Ring™ Welded Joints | High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Liner | Bare Pipe | Polyurethane or Rubber Lining with Flange Joints | |
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| CCapEx Over 20 Yrs | Far lower CapEx than flanged joints. Far longer lifespan than HDPE or bare steel. | Lower CapEx, but short lifespan in heavy abrasion will require liner or pipeline replacement. | High CapEx construction costs. Short lifespan in heavy abrasion will require pipeline replacement. | Far higher CapEx than Joint Lock Ring Welded Joints. |
| Abrasion Resistance | Excellent | Poor/Medium | Poor | Excellent |
| Lifespan | Longer | Shorter | Shorter | Longer |