Highly abrasion-resistant polyolefin pipe

Abstract

A pipe- or tube-shaped article having an innermost layer is disclosed which comprises a polyolefin composition comprising a polyolefin comprising ethylene and an α-olefin. The article provides long lifetime, highly abrasion-resistant pipes for mining and other transportation uses. Also disclosed are methods for preparing the article and transporting abrasive materials.

1 . A pipe- or tube-shaped article having an innermost layer wherein
 the innermost layer has a thickness of about 0.001 to about 102 mm and comprises a polyolefin; and   the polyolefin comprises repeat units derived from ethylene and 5 to 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the polyolefin, of an α-olefin having 3 to 20 carbons and has a density of about 0.92 g/cc (ASTM D-792) or less.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the polyolefin has a density of about 0.90 g/cc or less. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2  wherein the polyolefin has a density of about 0.88 g/cc or less and the α-olefin contains from 3 to 10 carbons; and the α-olefins are selected from the group consisting of propene, 1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, 1-octadecene, 3-cyclohexyl-1-propene, vinyl cyclohexane. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3  wherein the polyolefin has a density of about 0.84-0.88 g/cc and composition further comprises from about 0.1 wt % to about 80 wt % of an abrasion-resistant filler, based on the total weight of the polyolefin composition. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 3  further comprising an outer layer having a thickness of about 0.1 to about 102 mm and comprising rubber, elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer, acid terpolymer, ionomer terpolymer, or mixtures of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 5  further comprising an intermediate layer between the innermost layer and the outer layer and the intermediate layer comprises rubber, elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer, acid terpolymer, ionomer terpolymer, or combinations of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising an outer layer comprising a fiber reinforcement material; the fiber reinforcement material comprises a high strength fiber and optionally a thermoset resin; and the high strength fiber is produced from fiberglass, continuous glass fiber, polyaramide fiber, aramid fiber, graphite, carbon fiber, silica, quartz, ceramic, silicon carbide, boron, alumina, alumina-silica, polyethylene, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, polyimide, liquid crystal polymers, polypropylene, polyester, or polyamide. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 7  further comprising an intermediate layer between the innermost layer and the outer layer and the intermediate layer comprises rubber, elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer, acid terpolymer, ionomer terpolymer, or mixtures of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 7  wherein the high strength fiber is filament, warp yarn, unidirectional sheet, mat, cloth, knitted cloth, paper, non-woven fabric, woven fabric, or mixtures of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising an outermost layer. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 10  comprising an outermost layer which comprises carbon steel, steel, stainless steel, cast iron, galvanized steel, aluminum, or copper, or alloys of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11  wherein the outermost layer comprises carbon steel. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising an outermost layer in contact with the innermost layer. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 13  comprising an outermost layer, in contact with the innermost layer, comprising carbon steel, steel, stainless steel, cast iron, galvanized steel, aluminum, or copper, or alloys of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 14  wherein the innermost layer is in contact with the outermost layer and the outermost layer comprises carbon steel. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 6  wherein the article further comprises an outermost layer in contact with the innermost layer and the outermost layer comprises carbon steel. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising laying up a pre-formed film or sheet into a preformed metal or plastic pipe to produce a polyolefin-lined metal or plastic pipe wherein the film or sheet is monolayer or multilayer film or sheet and is produced from a polyolefin; and the pre-formed film or sheet is as recited in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising heating the metal or plastic pipe above the softening point of the polyolefin and allowing the metal or plastic pipe to cool to produce the polyolefin-lined metal or plastic pipe. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising pulling or inserting an article into the interior surface of a metal pipe to produce a pipe- or tube-shaped article comprising a polyolefin; wherein the pipe is the article characterized in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising producing an abrasive material; flowing the abrasive material into one end of the pipe- or tube-shaped article; receiving the abrasive material out of the other end of pipe- or tube-shaped article for transporting the abrasive material thereby transporting the abrasive material.