METHOD OF INSULATING A PIPELINE AND MATERIALS THEREFOR

摘要

Thermal insulation is provided to a subsea pipeline by disposing a thermally insulating tape on the pipeline. The insulating tape has a layer of a syntactic foam composition disposed between layers of a thermoplastic polymer. The syntactic foam composition may be a curable composition, and this composition may be cured either before or after the tape is applied to the pipeline. Application of the tape may be made prior to the deployment of the pipeline in a subsea location or after the pipeline is disposed. The tape may be configured to include attachment features which aid in retaining the tape on the pipeline. Also disclosed are specific tape compositions for insulating subsea pipelines.