Characterizing the durability of PVDF and PPS for extended use in marine environments

This report describes recent work on the use of FDEMS sensing to monitor aging in thermoplastics during use in the field, particularly those, Nylon 11, PVDF and PPS being used for flexible composite pipe to transport oil-gas in the offshore subsea environment. Current life monitoring work focuses on characterizing the chemical and physical processes occurring during aging, using FDEMS sensing to monitor the aging rate and state of the polymer, and integrating the sensor output with a model for predicting the remaining service life and state of the structure. The model is periodically updated through the insitu online sensing measurements. This report will also discuss work on developing a fundamental understanding of the relationship of the sensor measurement of the ionic and dipolar mobility to the macroscopic properties of polymeric materials.