“This pipe lasted six months” is a useful maintenance record. On its own, however, it is an incomplete basis for comparing ceramic-lined slurry pipes.
Two installations may operate for the same number of months while handling different quantities of material under different conditions. Before using service life to compare suppliers, establish what each pipe handled and how its condition was assessed.
Record the Duty Behind the Service Period
Keep the installation date and operating hours, but also record cumulative throughput wherever reliable data is available.
State whether the tonnage represents wet slurry, paste, or dry solids. These quantities should not be used interchangeably.
Alongside throughput, retain the material description, solids concentration, particle size information, flow conditions and temperature. Record significant process changes during the service period.
A calendar interval becomes much more informative when it is attached to a defined operating duty.
What a Field Study Can Tell Us
A 2013 Kidd Mine paper reported inspections of a 487 m borehole lined with a ceramic-polymer composite after 3.48 million tonnes of paste throughput. Acoustic measurements indicated average lining wear of 0.92 mm per million tonnes of paste, compared with a design value of 1.1 mm per million tonnes. [1]
Those figures describe that installation and lining system. They are not performance ratings for sintered alumina tiles, ceramic rings or another supplier’s pipe.
The useful lesson for a purchasing review is the connection between measured condition, material throughput and a clearly identified installation.
Agree on the Inspection Method Before Operation
Ask what the proposed inspection will actually measure.
An external ultrasonic reading of the steel shell should not be presented as a direct measurement of the remaining ceramic unless the method has been validated for that particular assembly.
The Kidd Mine paper discusses internal inspection methods, including acoustic surveying and camera inspection. [1] Their suitability for another pipeline depends on access, geometry, lining construction, and the information required.
A camera image may reveal visible damage without providing a reliable thickness measurement. Dimensional measurements also need a defined baseline and a method for locating repeat inspections.
Track Local Damage Alongside Average Wear
Create an inspection drawing with identifiable pipe sections and measurement positions.
A practical record should include:
- Pipe or fitting identification and installation date
- Baseline dimensions and inspection method
- Inspection dates and cumulative throughput
- Repeat readings at defined locations
- Photographs or observations of local defects
- Repairs, replacements and operating changes
Keep the original readings as well as the calculated results. This allows differences in measurement position or method to be investigated later.
Report local damage separately from average wear. An average value can conceal a small area that needs attention before the surrounding lining does.
Use the Records to Improve the Next Specification
An observed wear rate can support inspection planning, but it should not automatically be treated as a constant rate for the rest of the pipe’s life.
Agree on review and replacement criteria with the responsible engineer, considering lining condition, local defects and the pressure-containing steel assembly.
For an ELACERA ceramic-lined pipe enquiry, provide the drawing, operating duty and available inspection records. This gives a stronger basis for reviewing lining thickness and construction than a request to match an unspecified number of months.
https://www.ybnceramic.com/supplier-4257288-wear-resistant-ceramic-pipe
Technical Reference
[1] White, A., McGuinness, M. and Newman, V. Pipeline wear solution at Kidd Mine: energy absorbent ceramic composites. Paste 2013, pp. 559–566. DOI: 10.36487/ACG_rep/1363_43_White.
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