As the brine water and acid solution was being transported by the initial HDPE pipeline, salts were sticking to the pipe walls, reducing the inner diameter. Due to the low ambient temperatures, deposits of calcium sulfate formed on the inner wall of the pipes and on the elbows. This caused shutdowns as well as lot of maintenance and reduction of production capacity. The Solution - SQM decided to replace its HDPE pipes and elbows with Pexgol’s. Due to the especially smooth internal surface of Pexgol’s pipes and elbows, the replacement of HDPE pipes with Pexgol eliminated the problem of chemical deposits. The original mean time between failures (MTBF) of the HDPE pipes was one month. Since changing to Pexgol in 2010, no sign of failure has been detected

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