Aging of polyamide 12 in oil at different temperatures and pressures

Polyamide 12 (PA 12) is an alternative to steel in the manufacture of pipes for transporting oil and gas. However, polyamide pipes suffer degradation, triggered by factors such as temperature and exposure to chemicals. In this research, the authors studied the variation of mechanical and thermal properties and of structural characteristics of a PA 12 grade after aging in oil. The aging process lasted 3360 h. It was made at ambient temperature and at 70 °C, under pressures of 1 and 17 atm. At ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, PA 12 increased in volume, weight and rigidity, and decreased in damping. At 70 °C and atmospheric pressure, there was a smaller increase in volume and weight. PA 12 samples also darkened, showed an increase in crystallinity and damping, and a decrease in rigidity. At 70 °C and 17 atm, a decrease in volume and weight was observed; the samples also darkened, increased in crystallinity and rigidity, and decreased in damping. In all aging conditions, the results of the thermal analysis and the analysis of functional groups showed that the chemical structure of the material was not significantly changed. According to the results, PA 12 has a good resistance to aging under these conditions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.