FEATURE
Tackling corrosion in mining processes with Fiber Reinforced Polymer
C
orrosion can simply be defined as the destructive oxidation of metallic material. But more recent definitions of corrosion have include the degradation of any material and its intended loss of function by exposure to and interaction with its environment. Corrosion in the mining industry is often characterized as corrosion enhanced by abrasion—this is especially true for pipe and pumping systems used in many mining processes. Material selection is therefore a critical component of most corrosion management strategies.
Fiberglass Fibreglass or Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is a complex non-isotropic material, in which two or more distinct, structurally complementary substances, glass fiber and thermoset polymer resin, combine to produce structural or functional properties not present in the individual component. Used throughout the world in a wide range of industrial and nonindustrial applications, FRP boasts cost-effectiveness, design flexibility, dimensional stability, high strength-
to-weight ratio, durability, and low maintenance costs—among other things. FRP products have been employed effectively in a diversity of applications, including pulp and paper, chemical processing, power generation, wastewater management, desalination, aerospace, architectural, food and beverage, and mining and minerals— among much else. FRP continues to gain in popularity as a material solution for pump and piping systems in the mining and mineral industries. And this is because they can
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