This document provides inspection requirements for medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes used for gas applications. It outlines the scope, raw material requirements, and inspection process. The raw material inspection includes tests for density, melt flow rate, thermal stability, pigment dispersion, and volatile matter content. In-process inspection checks color, dimensions, ovality, markings, and length. Final inspection includes hydraulic pressure testing, reversion testing, tensile testing, weathering resistance, and packaging/transport requirements. The document specifies acceptance criteria for each test to ensure the pipes meet the necessary standards.

1. Inspection of MDPE Pipe

2. SCOPE
IS 14885 covers the requirements for polyethylene pipe from dia. 16
mm to 630 mm with SDR 9,11,14 and 17.6 and in material grade PE-80
& PE- 100.
• Raw Material
• Inspection
Raw material inspection
In Process Inspection
Final Inspection

3. RAW MATERIAL
CRP 100 Orange - CRP 100 orange is a high density polyethylene, The
product is used for PE 100 and provides excellent stress crack resistance
properties (ESCR) with very good long term hydrostatic strength.
PE 100 XSC50 - It is a high performance hexene based orange compound,
with a MRS 10 MPa.
Eltex TUB 125 N2025- Eltex TUB 125 N2025 is a high-density polyethylene
copolymer designed for the extrusion of pipes for gas applications.
HE3492 LSH- It is used to ensure excellent long-term thermal stability and
UV-resistance.

4. INSPECTION
•RAW MATERIAL INSPECTION
•IN PROCESS INSPECTION
•FINAL INSPECTION

5. RAW MATERIAL INSPECTION
•Density Test
•Melt Flow Rate
•Thermal Stability (OIT)
•Pigment Dispersion
•Volatile Matter Content

6. DENSITY
IS 14885, CL.-8.3, IS 7328, ANNEX-A
• The density is determine by the buoyancy method by finding the mass
in air and mass in butyl acetate.
• Apparatus-
Analytical balance, butyl acetate, hydrometer, beaker
• Test sample- Weight- 50gm
• Calculation –
Density of PE (KG/M³) = a1*ρ*100/(a1-a2)
a1 - Mass of specimen in air (gm)
a2- Mass of specimen in butyl acetate (gm)
ρ- Density of butyl acetate (0.877 KG/M³)
• Density of butyl acetate determined by hydrometer.
Density of pe should be ≥928.4 KG/M³ @23℃ & ≥ 𝟗𝟑𝟎 KG/M³ @27℃.

8. MELT FLOW RATE (MFR)
(IS 14885, CL.- 8.4, IS 2530)
• Melt Flow Rate measures the rate of extrusion of
thermoplastics through MFT at given temperature and
load.
• It provides measuring flow of a melted material which can
be used to differentiate grades of pipes.
• Sample size –
5 gm. @190℃ , min. 3 nos. sample required
Weight (Load) – 5kg.
• Calculation-
MFR=m*600/t for gm/10 min.
m - avg. mass of minimum 3 nos. sample.
t - cut off time (240 sec.)
• MFR of the compound material shall be ±20%.

9. MELT FLOW TESTER

10. Thermal Stability (OIT)
(IS 14885, CL.-8.5, ANNEX-D)
OIT (oxidation induction time) is a type of
test/method to measures the level of thermal
stabilization or oxidation induction time of the pe
material. The time between melting and the
decomposition is measured. The atmosphere is
nitrogen up to melting and then oxygen.
- For long term strength
- Stability of material
- For electrofusion jointing w.r.t. temperature.
Sample size- 15 mg
Test temperature - 200℃
Gas flow of N2 & O2 – 50CM³/min.
Thermal analyser equipment used for this test
OIT ≥ 𝟐𝟎 𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑼𝑻𝑬𝑺 @𝟐𝟎𝟎℃

11. PIGMENT DISPERSION
(IS 14885, CL.- 5.4, ANNEX-E)
The test is perform to check the proper dispersion in PE material.
Apparatus-
Microscope of at X 100 linear magnification.
Microtome
Hot plate
Test specimen-
Six test pieces shall be taken from different parts of the cross-section.
Thickness & Area of specimen- 10𝜇𝑚 to 20𝜇𝑚 & 7 mm²
Weight – 5 mg
Principle- A microtomed section of material is examined by transmitted light at a magnification of X
100 and compared against standard photomicrographs.
Acceptance- The grading should be ≤ 3.

12. → → →
↓
← ← ←

13. Volatile matter content
(IS 14885, CL.- 8.6, ANNEX-H)
• Volatile matter is an unstable material. Volatile matter tends to
not remain in one state and will rapidly transition to another
state, or vaporize, when the right conditions are met.
• The volatile content is determined as the loss of mass of a
sample, which has been put in a drying oven.
• Calculation – V=(P1-P2)10^6/(P1-P0)
V- volatile matter content (mg/kg)
P0- weight of empty weighing cup (dia. 35mm) in gm.
P1- weight of weighing cup & sample
P2- weight of weighing cup and sample after 1 hr @105℃
Sample size- 25 gm.
Volatile matter content should be ≤ 𝟑𝟓𝟎
𝒎𝒈
𝒌𝒈

14. In Process Inspection
• Colour
• Finish Of Pipe
• Outside Diameter
• Wall Thickness
• Ovality
• Marking
• Length

15. Colour
The colour of the pipes shall be
yellow when manufactured from
PE-80 grade and orange from PE-
1OOgrade.
Colour coding confirm with BS
5252
PE 100 – CODE 08 E 55
PE 80 – CODE 08 E 53

16. Finish of Pipe
• Smooth
• Clean
• Free from grooves
• The ends shall be cleanly cut and shall
be square with axis.
• Considerable “Out of Square
Tolerance of End”-
2mm for 16 to 90mm dia.
3mm for 90 to 140mm dia.
4mm for 140 to 200mm dia.

17. Outside dia.

18. Wall thickness
• Negative tolerance should not
allowed during inspection of pipe.
• Ball ended micrometer used to
check the thickness.
• Acceptable plus tolerance-
Table 4 & 5 of IS 14885

20. Ovality
•

21. Marking
• All pipes shall be permanently marked along
their length with a legend, which shall be
impressed to a depth of not more than 0.2
mm.
• Marking details shall be formed on the pipe
in such away that the marking does not
initiate cracks or other type of failure.
• The embossing for yellow/ orange pipe shall
have black Colour. The height of the
character shall be uniform and at least 3 mm
for ≤ 90𝑚𝑚 & 5 mm for ≥90mm.
• The legend shall be repeated at intervals of 1
m .
• Manufacturer’s name, Designation and Batch
or lot number.
• Each pipe may also be marked with the
Standard Mark.

23. Length
• PE 100 DN 20MM SDR 11
– 200 MTRS.
• PE 100 DN 32MM SDR 11
– 200 MTRS.
• PE 100 DN 63 MM SDR 11
– 100 MTRS.
• PE 100 DN 125 MM SDR
17.6- 50 MTRS.

24. Final Inspection
•Hydraulic Pressure Resistance Test
•Reversion
•Tensile test (Tensile Strength at Yield &
Elongation at Break)
•Resistance to weathering (Exposure to sunlight)
•Supply, Packaging, Handling & Transportation

25. Hydraulic Pressure Resistance Test
(IS 14885, CL. 8.1, ANNEX-A&B, TABLE -7)
• When specimen subjected to internal pressure as per given procedure, sample shall show no sign of swelling, leakage, burst or any type of
physical damage.
• TEST SPECIMAN –
Sample taken after 24 hrs. of manufacturing.
Size- 10*OD (250mm to 750mm).
For < ∅63𝑚𝑚 → @80℃ for 165 hrs.→ 5.5 Mpa (induced stress)
For ≥ ∅63𝑚𝑚 → @80℃ for 165 hrs.→ 4.6 Mpa (induced stress)
• Calculation –
Test Pressure (in MPA)=2
𝜎𝑠
𝑑−𝑠
𝜎 − 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑇𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 − 7
s – minimum wall thickness
d – outside dia.
Conclusion - sample shall show no sign of swelling, leakage, burst
Or any Damage during test perform @ above given condition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qD05rWK39g

26. Hot water bath Test Sample

28. REVERSION (Shrinkage Or Expansion)
(IS 14885, CL. 8.2)
• The test is performed to check the shrinkage or
expansion of pipe.
• Apparatus-
Hot air circulating oven (@110℃)
Vernier caliper
Glass plate
Talcum powder
• Test specimen-
Size- 200mm for ≤ 200𝑚𝑚 & Axial arc of 200mm for ≥ 200𝑚𝑚
No. of sample – ≥ 3
• Calculation-
Reversion (%)= (Li-Lf)*100/Li
• Conclusion- Value should be in b/w of +3 and -3 in percentage.

29. Hot air circulating oven

30. Tensile test-
(IS 14885, CL. 8.7, 8.1, CL.-06 OF IS 2530)
• Tensile yield strength & Elongation at break test of mdpe.
• Test speciman-
Use a sufficiently long piece of pipe, and divide its circumference into a certain number of sectors with
an arc length of 150 mm.
For thickness of specimen- < 5𝑚𝑚 → @ 23°C & 100 mm/min
≥ 5𝑚𝑚 → @ 23°C & 25 mm/min
• Apparatus –
Universal tensile tester
• Procedure- The test pieces shall be conditioned for two hours in air or one hour in water so that it is at
a temperature of 27°C immediately before test.
• Acceptance- Tensile yield strength 15 Mpa
Elongation at break 350 percent, Min

32. → ¬
← ←

33. Resistance to weathering (Exposure to sunlight)
(IS 14885, CL.-8.8, ANNEX-F)
• Test specimen –
Length – 1 mtr.
0.2 mm upper layer of specimen shall be remove before testing.
• Time period –
Sample shall be exposed for a period of six months.
The size of the apparatus and the distance between the specimens shall be such that no
shadows fall across the specimens for the period of at least 8 h during which the sun is
normally the strongest.
• Acceptance-
Elongation as per 8.7.1
Hydraulic characteristics as per 8.1
Thermal stability to oxidation as per 8.5

34. Supply, Packaging, Handling & Transportation
(IS 14885, CL. 11, ANNEX-K)
• SUPPLY-
 The polyethylene pipes shall be supplied as straight length either independent or bundled together.
 Pipe ends shall be cleanly cut, square with the axis of pipe and with appropriate end caps
• Coils-
Polyethylene pipes may be coiled or packed on drums. Large diameter coils with d> 90 mm should be stored flat or vertically.
• Coil Dimension and Winding Temperature-
Size Minimum internal dia Max. external coil dia
20/25 mm 0.6 m 3.2 m
32 mm 0.7 m 3.2 m
63 mm 1.3 m 3.2 m
125 mm 2.5 m 3.2 m
Maximum external surface temperature at time of coiling- 35℃
• All the coils shall be wrapped with PP woven sack & PE film.

36. THANK YOU
Himanshu shukla