Invista enters the plastic pipe market, launching nylon pipe

Riding on the wind of shale gas and oil production in North America, INVISTA entered the plastic pipe market with the Raptor brand of nylon pipe.

Company officials said Sept. 10 that the Raptor is the industry's first homogeneous single-wall line pipe made of nylon 6/6. The product can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius) and pressures up to 500 pounds per square inch.

A spokesman for Invista said the company already produces the pipeline commercially at a facility in the Midwest, but declined to provide further details on the location. He added that the company is considering adding a second manufacturing site, also in the Midwest, to serve a customer base in Texas and North Dakota, two of Invista's sales regions.

This pipe is mainly used in oil field and can withstand corrosive liquid, impact, abrasion, high temperature and daily wear and tear.

There is a high demand for pipe that can withstand oil stains, is used in harsh conditions every day, and can be installed quickly, the company said in a news release.

This pipe is two to five times more abrasion resistant than steel pipe and has higher impact strength than fiberglass, high-density polyethylene, and composites.

"As shale gas production increases in North America, we expect this new pipeline product to bring new solutions for the transportation of oil, gas and water."

INVISTA is the world's largest producer of nylon 6/6 resin and also produces nylon and polyester fibers. The company has 10,000 employees in 20 countries around the world.

At the end of 2013, INVISTA applied for a number of patents for nylon 12 raw materials and announced plans to enter the nylon 12 resin market.