Polymeric Materials Used in the Oil and Gas Industry

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How is Exponent's multidisciplinary approach unique for solving the oil and gas industry's most formidable challenges?

Harsh industrial conditions make oil and gas exploration, drilling, transportation, and refinery processes challenging. Industry workers frequently report leaks, cracks, and product failures of oil and gas containers, pipelines, drilling platforms, and ancillary equipment. Joint failure, leakage in crude oil storage tanks, failure of plastic or composite piping systems, and other issues can shut down production or lead to accidents, environmental damage, and even tragic loss of life.

When polymers and composite materials fail, stakeholders need to understand the chemistry and physics behind their problems. Exponent is well-equipped to solve these problems by conducting analysis, tests, and experiments that explore the relationship between the failed product and the property limits of the specified material.

Exponent's teams provide exacting science to help you understand the use and function of the following materials in oil and gas manufacturing processes.

Materials Evaluations

• Additives and stabilizers used in drilling fluid ingredients

• Adhesives used to bond or join piping systems

• Fillers and reinforcements used in composite and structural repairs

• Rubbers used in pipeline seals and gaskets

• Thermoplastics and thermosets used in the gathering, collection, and distribution of oil and gas products

How do our multidisciplinary, proactive strategies help keep equipment and facilities running in optimal condition?

When polymers and composites fail, our multidisciplinary teams conduct thorough failure analyses to assist clients in understanding the chemistry and kinetics of degradation of various polymers by oxidation, ozone, UV, hydrolysis, fatigue, and other mechanisms. We can also assist in materials selection to limit the possibility of failure.

Exponent's data science teams assist our polymer scientists in conducting comprehensive, fit-for-purpose evaluations of pipeline and service equipment, as well as developing budget projections for asset replacement projects.

Our ecological and environmental teams are also highly skilled at helping oil and gas leaders form comprehensive product stewardship programs designed to meet applicable regulations and plan strategies for product recycling and end-use applications.

Capabilities and Services

Our multidisciplinary experts have a wide variety of capabilities to help identify vulnerabilities, analyze failures, and improve materials used within the oil and gas industry.

Our experts provide deep understanding of the chemistry, physical properties, and mechanical behavior of polymeric materials, including rubbers, elastomers, adhesives, and rigid plastics. We assist clients with durability assessments, materials specifications, formulation, end-use testing, product safety evaluations, and failure analysis in a wide variety of polymer applications in the oil and gas industry.
Fractography is the scientific study of fracture surface features and can assist in determining the origin and manner of a developed crack. When pipes or fittings fracture in the oil and gas industry, damage can impact the environment and communities. Exponent's multidisciplinary approach provides strategic evaluation and analysis of polymer fractography to help you understand with rigorous science why a failure has occurred and how to mitigate it.
Exponent has expertise in all aspects of liquid paints, powder coatings, functional coatings, and thin films. Our scientists and engineers have studied organic and inorganic materials, manufacturing processes, and the use of coatings, ranging from nanometer-scale thin films to paints and protective coatings hundreds of microns thick. We consult on issues of formulation, adhesion and physical properties, application processes, regulatory compliance, and durability.
Our chemists specialize in understanding how composition and formulation affect the performance of complex chemical systems and practical materials. We consult in the areas of fuel, oil, and industrial and specialty chemicals, including fluorinated substances (PFAS). We have experience analyzing product composition and identifying potential contaminants through standardized and non-standard methods, and we use our expertise to help clients determine the source and potential impacts of chemical contamination in a range of products.
Exponent's experts have extensive experience in advising clients on the structure-property-processing relationships of polymeric material systems. We consult on the development, formulation, scale-up, quality testing, and large-scale industrial manufacturing of polymer/plastics, and we assist clients in all stages of product life from product development to end-use evaluation and long-term field performance.
Extreme weather and prolonged exposure to natural elements advances the stages of aging and deterioration in most products and structures. Exponent's multidisciplinary teams help clients assess weather and exposure risks and develop proactive plans to mitigate hazards. We use cutting-edge tools and technology to combine climate modeling with probabilistic risk assessments to enhance facility resilience and offer a clear path forward for companies with a desire to understand and quantify their exposure to extreme weather-related risk.
Our oil and gas services in Polymer Science and Materials Chemistry include:
- Failure analysis of pipes, pipelines, and containers
- Impurity detection in natural gas, petroleum, and crude oil
- Risk assessment of natural gas, petroleum, and crude oil
- Surface and material design assessments and analysis
- Chemical composition analysis
- Patent infringement, patent validity, and trade secrets assessments

Our Capabilities Are Unparalelled

With expertise in over 90 disciplines and hundreds of capabilities, tools, and methodologies — we get to the root of even the most complex challenges and give you the objective answers you need.

A worker pours a bag of polymer beads into a manufacturing machine. Exponent provides engineering expertise for polymers and plastics.

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