ANALYSIS OF THE LAYER INTERFACE OF A POLYMERIC COMPOSITE APPLIED IN OIL PIPELINES

Abstract

The oil & gas industry has face equipment corrosion challenges due to the chemical characteristics of contaminants in the reservoirs. A three-layered composite was developed, made up of glass fiber, epoxy and polyurethane, for the production of pipelines of oil wells as an alternative to API 5L steel, which was more susceptible to corrosion. In this work, samples of pipes made of this composite were collected in oil wells, which have been operating with this material. The interfaces between the layers of the samples were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) because the interfacial area between the layers is a critical region and can affect the properties of composite materials and compromise their applicability. The results pointed to a good adhesion in the interface between the inner and intermediate layer of all samples, but a low adhesion in the interface between the intermediate and outer layer. A deficiency in the coverage of the fibers with resin was also observed in all samples. This shows that the interfacial adhesion between the layers and the wettability of the fibers with resin should be improved to ensure a