RTP is a generic term referring to a reliable high strength synthetic fibre (such as Glass, Aramid or Carbon) reinforced thermoplastic pipe, initially developed in the early 1990s by Wavin Repox, Akzo Nobel and by Tubes d'Aquitaine from France, who developed the first pipes reinforced with synthetic fibre to replace medium pressure steel pipes in response to growing demand for non-corrisive conduits for application in the onshore oil and gas industry, particularly in the Middle East.
Typically, the materials used in the construction of the pipe might be Polyethylene (PE), Polyamide-11 or PVDF and may be reinforced with Aramid or Polyester fibre although other combinations are used.
More recently the technology of producing such pipe, including the marketing, rests with a few key companies, one of which is Pipelife with Soluforce where it is available in coils up to 400 m (1,312 ft) length. These pipes are available in pressure ratings from 30 to 90 bar (3 to 9 MPa; 435 to 1,305 psi). Over the last few years this type of pipe has been acknowledged as a standard alternative solution to steel for oilfield flowline applications by certain oil companies and operators. The great advantage of this pipe is also its very fast installation time compared to steel pipe when considering the welding time as average speeds up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft)/day have been reached installing RTP in ground surface.
Primarily, the pipe provides benefit to applications where steel may rupture due to corrosion and installation time is an issue.
Read more about Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipe: Technology and History, See Also
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