Extracts from three Prosyma Research Ltd reports to the Everite Group, 6th April 1990 to 19th November 1990.

S F Bush

(The focus of the SAFIRE work moved to Santar situated in South Africa.)

SAFIRE A – Pipe extrusion (6th April 1990)

The work in the period under review (the S-runs) was taken up with extending the work of the R-runs (reported in Report 7) to a wide range of SAFIRE materials.

Altogether we have demonstrated pipe making capability in the SAFIRE polypropylene granules typical of the Santar materials as well as the Santar specified HDPE Hostalen GM5010. Note that this HDPE grade is black and this adds a dimension of potential difficulty because of the tendency for carbon black to cling to upstream discontinuities.

SAFIRE A – Pipe extrusion (1st May 1990)

The last report highlighted the likely effects of temperature on the presence or absence of weld lines. Consequently the work in the period under review (T-runs) has concentrated on repeating, where possible, the S-runs but at higher temperatures.

The results so far show that a significant decrease in polymer MFI requires a substantial increase in temperature in the mixing zone. This is particularly evident with Hostalen 5010, the HDPE grade proposed by Everite. Its MFI is about 0.3 at 230 ^oC compared with 0.4 for the PP Profax used up to now. Runs at 240 ^oC insread of 220 ^oC used in the S-runs show an appreciable increase in burst strength which may tentatively be ascribed to more complete disappearance of the weld line.

Injection Moulding (19th November 1990)

Recent results at UMIST have shown that SAFIRE granules may be injection moulded with separation and average fibre length retentions comparable with the values found in extrusion. This is achieved with a minor adaptation of a standard injection moulding machine and a simple version of the Fibre Separating Unit.

Report 6 from a series of 5 Prosyma Research Ltd reports to Ametex AG, 15th February 1989 to 14th January 1990.

Report 6 dated 31st May 1989, Report 7 dated 11th July 1989, Report 8 dated 24th July 1989.
S F Bush

Summary: Part 1

1. During the period under review, SAFIRE project A has followed up the breakthrough in finishing technology achieved in the previous six-month period.
2. On the process itself follow-up has concentrated on establishing the design and operating parameters which determine acceptable and indeed exceptional finish with the new technology, at the same time making many metres of pipe for burst and creep testing.
3. Both polypropylene (PP) and HDPE SAFIRE pipe can be made with fine finishes on a routine basis. While not of direct benefit to the project, the finishing technology gives quite remarkable mirror finishes to virgin pipe.
4. In the period under review, SAFIRE project C has concentrated on producing SAFIRE granules in a wide range of combinations of fibre and polymer, and evaluating these for use in pipes.
5. The signs are that the evaluations made for this purpose will also give a good indication of the commercial potential for SAFIRE granules in combination with Fibre Separating Devices (FSD) sold in their own right. The significance of this potential has become clear from recent information on present commercial products.