Beetle Plastics to Attend The Chemical Processing Symposium

Beetle PlasticsWe are excited to announce that Beetle Plastics will be exhibiting at booth #117 at The Chemical Processing Symposium at the Galveston Island Convention Center November 6-7 in Galveston, TX.

The Chemical Processing Symposium’s focus is on providing the newest research, case studies, and best practices for the management of chemical corrosion with non-metallics. Beetle Plastics will be sharing information about the corrosion resistant abilities of fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP).

Check out some of our most popular corrosion resistance blog post:

Reducing Material Costs with Corrosion Resistant FRP Solutions

Chemical Handling: Corrosion Resistant Tanks and Vessels

What is an FRP Corrosion Barrier?

Come visit Beetle Plastics at booth #117 November 6-7 at the Galveston Island Convention Center, or contact us to learn more about corrosion resistance and FRP.

Fiberglass Pipe Fittings: Where Materials and Human Capital Converge

There are many important design considerations that are fundamental to designing any fiberglass pipe system. For example, operating temperature, service environment or media, pressure, vacuum, and temperature are all critical design aspects that need to be considered. Similarly, there is a necessity to acknowledge the coterminous and interconnected relationship that exists between pipe, joints and fittings as well as the level of human capital applied within the context of aggregate pipe system and performance.

To speak in certain terms, no two fiberglass pipe systems are created equal; to a large degree the quality of fiberglass materials are relative to the level of expertise, experience, as well as, technical knowledge and skills a given labor force has, in this case we are referring to resins and adhesives as primary materials. A key takeaway from this article is that there is an assumed positive correlation between performances of a joint or pipe system and whether or not it’s properly fabricated/completed. For example, with respect to a weld or adhesive joint, there are some important considerations that will ultimately affect the end-user’s product. Considerations such as proper mixing of adhesives or resins, properly prepared joint (shaved, ground), proper curing conditions (dry, temperature, stable), properly trained personnel, and correct resin/adhesive for the type of pipe are included.

Another key takeaway from this article is that in many senses working with fiberglass is an art. This art or acquired skill is founded in the understanding of science, technology, and materials and at the same time constrained by conventional standards, investment of human capital and the notion of precision—among other things. It can be inferred that without a firm understanding of the standards and adherence to them there can be no art or no high quality product produced.

In other words, paramount to achieving fiberglass materials that are optimized for performance, one must understand the basic concept of investment in human capital or that increasing the labor component, a factor of production, is proportional to the resources invested. Beetle has invested heavily in human capital and has created a culture of learning—this is one of our competitive edges. We possess a high level of expertise at all stages of the manufacturing process. This fundamental approach, of offering the best training and education to our team, has developed a forward-thinking technical culture of highly skilled workers. More importantly it contributes to the high quality of our fittings and joints. For example, many of Beetle’s technicians are trained and certified in the following areas:

Certifications

  • ACMA Certified Composite Trained
  • SSPC QP1 Certified: Field Application to Complex Industrial and Marine Structures
  • SSPC QP2 Certified: Field Removal of Hazardous Coatings
  • OSHA 10, OSHA 30

Certifications (Bonder)

  • ASME B31.3 Certified
  • CCT Certified (ACMA)
  • TWIC Certified
  • OSHA Confined Space Certified

Fiberglass joints and fittings of one type or another are essential element of most pipe systems. Beetle offers a wide range of custom fittings; adapters, bushings, couplings, outlets, reducers, crossers, laterals and tees—just to name a few.

Beetle’s custom fittings include:

Adapters

  • Bell x NPT Thread (Male or Female Threads Available)

Bushings and Couplings

  • Threaded Adapter Bushings
  • Reducer Bushings
  • Pipe Couplings
  • Threaded (NPT) Couplings

Elbows

  • Elbows, standard are 22 1/2°, 30°, 45° and 90°
  • Elbows through 48″ Ø are available as smooth radius
  • Mitered Elbows- available in all sizes
  • Reducing Elbows

Flanges

  • Blind Flanges
  • Threaded Flanges
  • Reducing Flanges
  • Orifice Flanges

Outlets

  • Bell Outlets
  • Spigot Outlets
  • Flanged Outlets
  • Saddles, with FRP and Stainless Steel Threaded Outlets

Reducers

  • Concentric Taper Body Reducers
  • Eccentric Taper Body Reducers

Why Isophthalic Polyester Resins are Ideal for Fiberglass Fabrications

Unsaturated type resins, such as polyester resins, are thermoset, capable of being cured under the proper conditions. There are a broad range of polyesters made from different constituents, all having diverse properties—acids, glycols and monomers, for example. Throughout much of the composite or fiberglass industry, in traditional laminating, molding and casting systems two principle types of polyester resins are commonly used, they are orthophthalic polyester resins and isophthalic polyester resins respectively.

As a point of clarification to our audience, this article will address some critical differences between polyester resins which have lead us to select isophthalic polyester resins for the fabrication of fiberglass materials where a polyester type resin has been specified. The scope of this article is limited to polyester resins and will not attempt compare other types of resins in any detail.

Orthophthalic are known throughout the industry as a basic resin; many contend that orthophthalic resins are a lesser product than general-purpose resins. They are typically less expensive than other resin types, such as, isophthalic polyesters, vinyl esters, and epoxies. Their properties portfolio is inferior with respect to strength, chemical resistance and corrosion resistance when compared with other resin types including isophthalic polyesters.

A comparison of polyester resins, reveals that isophthalic have some key advantages over orthophthalic. Isophthalic polyester resins are undoubtedly of a higher-grade and offer substantially higher strength, better flexibility and chemical resistance. To illustrate the important differences further, in laboratory tests, a fiberglass reinforced isophthalic polyester resin panel showed 10% higher flexural and 20% higher tensile properties than a comparable panel using orthophthalic polyester resin.

It is clear that there are substantial differences between isophthalic and orthophthalic polyester resins. At Beetle we recognize those differences and aim to leverage the strengths of isophthalic resins when fabricating fiberglass materials where a polyester type resin has been specified. By leveraging these strengths we are able to optimize the performance of the fiberglass materials and provide you, our customer, with a high-quality, cost-effective materials solution.