TAGS: Part Design & Manufacturing
Demeta strengthens its collaborative R&D partnership with Vipo to develop, manufacture and market two new materials for deep to ultra-deep offshore equipment.
Demeta and Vipo have entered into a fruitful collaboration through the development of two new material candidates based on Demeta’s NexTene™ polymers. The companies’ objectives are to further enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of rubbers, especially compared to alternative traditional materials, while respecting the ever-increasing demand for a low carbon footprint.
Material for Protection and Thermal Insulation
These cutting-edge polymeric engineered products will surpass the performance of silicones, considered as the best but expensive materials in the insulation market. Designed to meet the requirements for protection and thermal insulation of offshore equipment, the products are based on NexTene P-DCPD resins systems, which among other applications have been specifically engineered for the oil and gas industry’s extreme conditions. Their chemical structure and outstanding performance, combined with an easy processing, offer a unique solution, particularly for anti-corrosion coating and thermal insulation of offshore pipes and risers.
New Products to Join Vipo’s Vikotherm® Family
The successor of Vikotherm® R3 is a material, meant to be easily used as a reactive filler in the hardly accessible areas of offshore equipment, such as connections, manifolds or so-called “Christmas trees” (a complex assembly of valves, spools, and fittings used to regulate the flow from an oil or gas well). The development program started in 2019 and first results for this material are promising. Initial mechanical testing has been performed together with the Norwegian R&D consultancy Norner a.s. and the material is currently under wider evaluation at Vipo with a first pilot batch in production for long term ageing tests and qualification.
An even more recent innovation in the Vikotherm® family is currently in an on-going development phase, covered by a joint development agreement. It is a much wider evolution and screening of formulations, to further improve the mechanical and thermal performance of the material. This is a 3-years collaboration between Vipo and Demeta.
Details of Agreement
The agreement between the companies contains a partnership for scaling up and producing a new generation of Vikotherm® thermal insulation products. Vipo and the Norwegian Research Council finance 100% of R&D costs during three years. The companies have agreed to commercial terms for the Oil & Gas markets as well as other foreseen field of applications (e.g. ballistics, sound and vibration dampening, to name a few).
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This collaboration with a world leader in engineered polymer solutions aligns well with our long-standing commitment to collaborating with leaders in the industry. It illustrates the relevance of our NexTene materials to build advanced polymer solutions in a sustainable way and meet highest requirements for extreme applications, such as the harshest offshore environments”, concludes Patrick Piot, Demeta’s chief executive officer.
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Source: Demeta