Dan Libby
Product Manager - Corrosion Protection Group
Berry Plastics

High Performance Hot Melt Primers for Polyethylene Coatings in Pipeline Corrosion Protection

As with many other industries, there is a constant push in pipeline coatings to move towards a more environmentally friendly approach. Pipeline coatings that are made using pressure sensitive tapes have been around for over 50 years. These coatings utilize a primer to improve the adhesion of the PSA to the substrate and provide long lasting corrosion protection. Historically this primer has been made using solvents that contain various levels of VOCs as dictated by the location they are being used. By designing a hot melt adhesive for this application the use of solvents can be eliminated from the pipeline coating process. The resulting product also offers several advantages including: improved price vs. low VOC systems, higher initial adhesion, increased pipeline coating throughput and the elimination of recoating pipe due to thermal blistering. Due to the number of large water infrastructure projects in developing countries and the overdue need for water infrastructure repair and replacement in countries like the US, the use of environmentally safe and economical pressure sensitive pipeline coatings continues to be a growing opportunity for hot melt adhesives.