Pipe made from plastics may be used to convey actively corrosive fluids, and is especially useful for handling corrosive or hazardous gases and dilute mineral acids.

Plastics are employed in three ways: as all-plastic pipe, as ‘filled’ plastic materials (glass-fiber-reinforced, carbon-filled, etc.) and as lining or coating materials.

Plastic pipe is made from polypropylene, polyethylene (PE), polybutylene (PB), polyvinyl chloride (PVC)’ acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), cellulose acetate-butyrate (CAB), polyolefins, and polyesters.

Pipe made from polyester and epoxy resins is frequently glassfiber-reinforced (‘FRP’) and commercial products of this type have good resistance to wear and chemical attack.

The American National Standards Institute has introduced several schedules for pipe made from various plastics.

These ANSI standards and others for plastic pipe are listed in table 7.5.