Applications

Industries and applications that have benefited from MERL expertise in chemical exposure testing include:

• Offshore Oil & Gas (flexible risers, umbilicals, hose, flowline, insulation, non-metallic seals)
• Chemical Processing (vessel/pipe linings)
• Automotive (hose, fuel tanks, air conditioning)
• Medical (heart valves, artificial bone joints)
• Aerospace (composite structures, bonded joints)

Materials tested

Elastomers - chemically resistant (e.g. HNBR, FKM, TFE/P, FFKM), thermally resistant (e.g. VMQ) and high mechanical duty types (e.g. NR, EPDM).

Thermoplastics - corrosion resistant (e.g. PTFE, PVDF, ETFE, FEP, PFA, PEEK, PPS, PA, PP).

Thermosets - structural and corrosion resistant composites/FRP (glass or carbon fibre reinforced epoxies, polyesters, phenolics, polyimides).

Typical exposure fluids

Oilfield chemicals - produced fluids (e.g. oil, gas and water, CO₂), treatment fluids (e.g. glycols, methanol, corrosion and scale inhibitors, scavengers, acids etc.). MERL has the capability to handle sour gas (H₂S).

Chemical processing - hydrocarbons, halocarbons, halogens, acids, bases.

Automotive - fuels, halocarbons, CO₂, H₂.

Medical - propellants, biological fluids.

Aerospace - de-icers, hydraulic fluids