HDPE pipe resins take higher pressures. (Keeping up with Materials).

Dow Plastics, Midland, Mich., has introduced the first two products of a new generation of HDPE resins for pressure-pipe applications, including natural-gas distribution, potable-water systems, oil and gas production, and industrial and mining pipe. Produced by the Unipol II gas-phase process, these HDPEs are said to meet or exceed all performance standards for PE pressure pipe. They reportedly withstand higher pressures at higher temperatures than previous HDPE pipe resins and offer excellent ESCR and low-temperature toughness.

* DGDC-2480 reportedly exceeds ASTM PE3408 standards for pipe materials. It boasts outstanding slow-crack-growth resistance (>4000 hr PENT), a pressure rating of 1000 psi at 60 C, and outstanding low-temperature toughness (S-4 RCP Tc <-17 C).

* DGDA-2490 exceeds both ASTM PE3408 and ISO PE100 requirements. It is reportedly at least 60 times more resistant to slow crack growth (>6000 hr PENT) than the standards specify. It also offers twice the extrapolated lifetime at standard operating pressure and is at least three times more resistant to rapid crack propagation than is required.