pipelines@moody
87 Central Commercial Area, Phase IV,
Tel: 042 111 284 284
Email: pipelines@moody-group.com.pk
HEAT SHRINKABLE SLEEVES
Heat shrinkable sleeves are the most
widely used technology tar field
girth weld corrosion protection in the
world today. They are used because
they are easy to install, provide
excellent protection and are cost
effective. Some specifiers may
believe that the products on the
market today are the same as those
produced 20 years ago, but ‘shrink
sleeves’ have improved dramatically
over the years. This article is a case
study of a product type. What is it
that makes these products unique,
and why is it that many specifiers
rely on them for high quality field
joint corrosion protection?
The first heat shrinkable sleeves
were introduced over 30 years ago,
when polyethylene pipeline coatings
came in to replace bituminous or
tape coatings in the oil and gas
industry. Polyethylene processing in
the manufacture of sleeve backing
was then a new technology, and the
adhesives used in sleeves were much
the same as those used on pipeline
coatings.
Since then, the technology behind
cross linking polyethylene to make
sleeves has advanced considerably,
and the adhesives used today are
formulated to perform under
demanding pipeline construction and
in ser vice’ operating conditions.
Returning to their uniqueness, the
technology is interesting, as it
involves molecular chemistry in the
backing, combined with pressure
sensitive or hot melt adhesives and
optional epoxy primers to complete
the system.
D.H.A., Lahore, Pakistan
Fax: 042 111 285 285
Polyethylene backing
Heat shrinkable means just that.
They are heated, and they shrink, or
more correctly they recover in
length. A heat shrinkable sleeve
begins with a thick extruded
polyethylene sheet, formulated to be
cross linkable. This is the basis for
being heat shrink able, as well as for
resistance to UV and long term
ageing.
After extruding the thick sheet, the
product is taken to the ‘beam’, where
it is then passed under a unit
subjecting it to electron irradiation.
The irradiation process or ‘beaming’
crosslinks the polyethylene, thereby
improving the molecular structure
such that the polyethylene works as
part of a heat shrinkable sleeve and
provides the required high level of
mechanical protection while in
service. Basically, it makes the
polyethylene perform as a tough,
heat resistant, elastic material, rather
than as a plastic material.
Following crosslinking, the sheet is
stretched by feeding it into a
machine. This heats it up, stretches it
and cools it down. As the sheet has
been crosslinked, once stretched, it
wants to recover to its original
length if heated.
Specialty adhesives and functions
After stretching, an adhesive is
applied. Various manufacturers use
proprietary techniques depending on
the type, viscosity and melting
temperature of the adhesive. The
adhesive is the key to the installed
system’s ultimate performance,
which is why different adhesive
types are specified depending on the
pipeline’s particular operating
conditions.
Figure 1: Heat Shrink Sleeve
The adhesive has many functions. It
adheres the installed sleeve to the
cutback and mainline coating; it
resists shear forces imparted by soil
pressure once the pipeline has been
buried; and it provides long term
corrosion protection to the steel. The
choice of which adhesive to use is
based on pipeline design and
operating conditions. In the case of
small diameter flowlines operating at
ambient temperatures, a soft, mastic
based adhesive may be chosen,
while large diameter pipelines
operating at above 80ºC require a
hard, semi crystalline (hot melt)
adhesive. The adhesive needs to be
chosen based on its corrosion
protection proper ties, adhesion
strength and resistance to shear
forces. These are imparted by lateral
pipe movement and the effects of
vertical soil pressure when
operational.
The next step is to cut the coated
sheet into individual sleeves suitable
for application on a pipeline. As
before, the sheet is stretched, and
wants to recover when heated, but if
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87 Central Commercial Area, Phase IV,
Tel: 042 111 284 284
Email: pipelines@moody-group.com.pk
the sleeve is wrapped around the
girth weld area of a pipeline, and
then shrunk down, what holds it on?
Basically a sealing strip or ‘closure’
is applied before shrinking. The
sleeve will then stay in place during
and after recovery.
A final component (depending on
the pipeline coating and performance
requirements) is an epoxy primer.
Epoxy primers for heat shrinkable
sleeves work in the same manner as
an FBE primer when specified on
three layer polyethylene pipeline
coatings. Depending on the
specification, the primer is typically
150- 300 pm (8-12 mils) thick.
Selecting backing and adhesives
The choice of which type of
backings and adhesives to use in
sleeves engineered for specific
applications tends to rest with the
specifier in consultation with the
manufacturer. Recommendations are
made based on pipeline
environmental and geographical
construction conditions, along with
consideration of operating and ‘in
service’ performance requirements.
A specifier or engineer will often
consult with representatives from a
manufacturer to determine what
grade of heat shrinkable sleeve will
be compatible with the specific
pipeline coating and will meet
certain minimum requirements of
performance. The properties of the
specified sleeve type would then be
written into the specification and a
number of manufacturers would be
invited to submit their products.
Within NACE, there is a program
under way to write a number of
standard recommended practices
concerning the various corrosion
protection technologies for pipelines.
The standard for heat shrinkable
sleeves was recently published, and
includes requirements for mastic and
hot melts adhesive based sleeves.
This will help to guide specifiers and
engineers towards the basic
pipelines@moody
D.H.A., Lahore, Pakistan
Fax: 042 111 285 285
requirements for inclusion in their
specifications. It will also provide
details for qualification, installation
and inspection guidelines.
Given an understanding of the
technology, what are the advantages
of sleeves that lead many specifiers
to favor them? Properly specified
and applied, they will provide
corrosion and mechanical protection
equal or superior to the mainline
coating, whether tape, epoxy or
multi-layer polyolefin.
Figure 2: High Shrink Sleeves
The technology has also made
sleeves easy to install. With minimal
training, a contractor’s crew can
install sleeves to perform long term,
with efficiency and effectiveness.
On major projects, specifiers may
require product pre-qualification,
crew training, certification and
ongoing inspection.
Best practices
In any size of project, best practices
need to be followed when specifying
the product during installation and in
inspection. These are:
• Product selection:
Consult either with the sleeve
manufacturer, or with a consultant
who is knowledgeable about
available grades of products on the
market.
• Contractor qualification &
training:
Ensure that the contractor is fully
trained in the installation of the
product. Credible manufacturers will
have the resources to send field
service staff to a job site to train the
crew, and a foreman or senior crew
member to train the line workers.
• Ongoing inspection:
Confirmation that the proper level of
surface preparation is being
conducted and a simple, quick peel
test to identify whether the product
has been installed correctly. The peel
test can be performed on the
previous day’s production before
starting up for the day, and will
serve as a reminder of how to install
the product correctly.
Conclusion
As with any field installed
construction product, field joint
protection systems are reliant on
correct selection and installation
qualify for optimum performance. In
the case of heat shrinkable sleeves,
the process can be simple, and can
result in a high quality system when
recommendations are followed.
Ensure that a proven system is
specified; the manufacturer
installation recommendations are
followed; and that ongoing
inspection is carried out to ensure
the quality of installation.
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