Abstract

This paper examines the effect of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) types on the internal pressure capacity and corrosion behavior of joined metallic pipes. To this end, fabrication processes of aluminum pipes have been prepared to be used later for wrapping with different FRP and welding. The FRP used are kevlar fiber/epoxy (KFRP) and carbon fiber/epoxy (CFRP). These fibers have been cut into strips and utilized in the joining systems using the fabric-winding method. Two types of pipes have been considered: pipes joined with four layers of KFRP and pipes with eight layers of KFRP-CFRP. On the other hand, pipes with two types of welding have been used for comparison purposes. The results showed improvement in the pipe’s internal pressure capacity compared to welding. Finally, the corrosion test was carried out. The results showed that FRP joining systems have higher corrosion resistance than welded and non-joined pipes. These results revealed that using FRP composites in pipe joining shows a promising future.

Keywords:Composites; Metalic pipes; Joining; Internal pressure capacity; Corrosion