Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) Pipes

GRP pipes are corrosion resistant and have smooth surface and high strength to weight ratio. These pipes could resist external and internal corrosion while the corrosion mechanism is galvanic or chemical in nature. They are manufactured of epoxy resins reinforced with glass fibres. The fibres comprise either of continuous filaments wound onto the pipe as it is formed to create a cross ply of reinforcement or might comprise of chopped strands mixed in the resin. A few times, they are centrifugally casted but more often they are made progressively on a rotating mandrel. The pipe of bigger diameters and thickness comprise of layers of different resins or layer being cured before next is applied. Smaller diameter pipes are mostly made from one type of resin throughout. The resins are thermosetting, plastics, which soften on heating but become irreversibly hard with chemical change although cooling. Joints could be socket and spigot along with O-ring synthetic rubber rings or push in gaskets. Pipes are also rigid jointed using a resin adhesive.