Responding to planned new infrastructure investments in Brazil, Braskem (São Paulo / Brazil; www.braskem.com.br) has developed a new PE resin for use in pipes and water mains. The Brazilian resins producer said it invested about BRL 16m (EUR 5.4m) to develop the resin at its technology and innovation centre in Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul / Brazil, test it at pilot plants and adapt production facilities to prepare them for production. Product durability has been increased to an estimated 100 years for tubes under pressure, compared with 50 years for the previous version of the resin, it added.

Demand for pipes and water mains is expected to increase as the Brazilian government resumes the planning and execution of major infrastructure works linked to its economic stimulus package known as PAC2. "In addition to PAC2, the growing demand for this specific type of resin is also being driven by the federal government's programme to promote universal access to basic sanitation, which seeks to improve public health conditions by reducing the country's deficit in water and sewerage services," said Marcos Celestino, an application engineer at Braskem.

The main uses for the resin include pipes for water and natural gas distribution networks, pipelines to transport ore slurry and oil, sewage networks and water mains. Braskem said its main clients using the resin to make pipes include Tigre, FGS, Kanaflex, Majestic and Polierg.