25 Sept 2012
Customer presentation on Innovation, Efficiency, Convenience and Sustainability to be given by SABIC at XVI International Plastic Pipes Conference in Barcelona, Spain
SITTARD, The Netherlands, September 25, 2012 - A customer presentation consisting of two key papers on the Energy Efficiency of SABIC® Vestolen A RELY and the Strain Hardening Test Method of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) will be delivered at the XVI International Plastic Pipes Conference which will take place on September 24th - 26th in Barcelona, Spain.
Focussing on customers and market segments has enabled SABIC to build a level of expertise that is respected across many industries. In the highly competitive world of infrastructure, operational efficiency and the impact on the environment rate highly alongside safety and productivity. This ensures that benefits are delivered throughout the value chain from processor to consumer. The papers will demonstrate how an integrated focus on material properties, process, system installation, as well as fast and accurate predictive testing, all go together to ensure that stringent requirements can be met and at the same time delivering efficiency and value.
Ralph Handstanger, SABIC Technical Marketing Engineer for HDPE pipe, will show how understanding the needs of process partners and intricacies of pipe processing, has led to the development and delivery of specific grades of SABIC® Vestolen A RELY.
SABIC® Vestolen A RELY 5924R is tailored to meet the PE100 standard and delivers good low sag performance for typical large diameter and pressure pipes with a low standard dimension ratio. It meets the stringent requirement of PAS 1075 and performs highly under the demands of guided boring and horizontal drilling installation methods that help improve efficiency and minimize the overall environmental impact.
The market research company Frost and Sullivan have recently awarded SABIC for Customer Value Enhancement with the successful introduction of SABIC® Vestolen A RELY and stated, “SABIC’s proactive initiative and in-depth understanding of the pipe manufacturing process has helped them create an ocean of opportunities for the customer to optimize operational efficiency.”
Increasing the speed to market not only allows beneficial new and improved materials to be used, it also reduces the time and energy required by converters.
Linda Havermans, Lead Scientist, SABIC Technology & Innovation, will demonstrate how customers benefit from SABIC’s in depth knowledge of materials and market requirements, which has resulted in the Strain Hardening Test Method for HDPE pressure pipes. SABIC has significantly reduced the time it takes to prove slow crack growth resistance from months to hours. Reliability of results and accuracy has also improved when the new test method is applied to the extremely demanding requirements for pressure pipe materials. Customers will now benefit from faster results and greater efficiency. The Strain Hardening Test Method is gaining widespread acceptance within the industry and is under discussion for ISO certification.
“HDPE has played a key role in the phenomenal growth of the pipe market segment,” stated SABIC Business Unit Director HDPE, Riyadh Al Djein, “Growth that will continue as emerging markets endeavour to meet increasing demand for clean water and established markets are faced with the need to upgrade and refurbish existing infrastructure systems. At SABIC we are concentrating on delivering total system benefits with a key focus on efficiency and sustainability. Our products are capable of meeting exacting standards of long-term durability with the additional advantage that less material in needed and installation is faster.”
“These papers clearly demonstrate our long term commitment our customers in the pipe business,” stated Mario Scholle, Business Manager for bimodal HDPE pipes at SABIC. “We have focussed our resources on delivering system solutions for them that could encompass several aspects of how pipes are manufactured and installed as well as durability. Predicting how a new material will perform under these circumstances has always been a long affair. SABIC® Vestolen A RELY and the Strain Hardening Test Method are both proof how a new material can be delivered on time to the market place and with confidence using a test method that is time and cost efficient and is beneficial to us all. We look forward to XVI International Plastic Pipes Conference in Barcelona and the opportunity to showcase how our customers and market segments are in the forefront of our activities.”
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SABIC
WTC Tower Ten Strawinskylaan 1475
1077 XX Amsterdam
Netherlands
Notes for editors
Notes to Editors
• * Trademark of SABIC Petrochemicals B.V.
• SABIC is a registered trademark of SABIC Holding Europe B.V.
• High-resolution photos are available upon request
About SABIC
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 29.24 billion (US$ 7.80 billion) in 2011. Sales revenues for 2011 totaled SR 189.90 billion (US$ 50.64 billion). Total assets stood at SR 332.78 billion (US$ 88.74 billion) at the end of 2011.
SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 16 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.
SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
