For as long as there have been pipelines, one of the most important tasks related to them has been pipeline cleaning. Keeping pipelines clean is an essential part of pipeline maintenance. In almost every industry, the condition and maintenance of pipelines play an important role. These include pipelines for the oil and gas industry, municipalities, power plants, mining, refineries, chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, food and beverage, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses.
Pigs for Cleaning Pipelines
Since their conception, pigs have been used for cleaning pipelines, especially in the oil and gas industry, for well over one hundred years. Often referred to as cleaning pigs, they are one of the most cost effective tools out there for monitoring any pipeline, reducing corrosion, improving flow, and removing debris.
Pigs that are designed for cleaning pipelines have special features and components that make them effective. For example, cleaning components include brushes which can agitate hardened, crusty deposits causing them to drop off; blades made of resistant urethane can clean out gooey, soft and sticky remnants; while scrapers that come as cups or discs can remove a variety of deposited material.
Components that help optimize the cleaning pig’s capabilities can also have special enhancements. For example, scraper discs and cups might have unique shapes or bypass holes. Some pipeline cleaning pigs might have magnetic features which allow them to remove ferrous remnants for optimum pipeline cleanliness.
Foam Pigs for Pipeline Cleaning
One of the most popular types of cleaning pigs are foam pigs. Standard sizes range from 2″ to 60″, with foam density options including light (1-2 lbs/ft3), medium (5-7 lbs/ft3), and heavy (8-10 lbs/ft3) density foam.
Wirebrush foam pigs are generally used for cleaning pipelines with buildup, rust, mill scale, or debris in new
construction, and routine pipeline maintenance applications. Models are available in light, medium, and heavy density foam. The pigs are constructed from an open-cell polyurethane foam with a durable polyurethane elastomer coating in a criss-cross pattern and embedded with wirebrush straps.
For cleaning pipelines made of plastic, bristle foam pigs are a good option. They’re used for cleaning PVC, fiberglass, and HDPE pipes, as well as internally coated steel pipe. The bristles are aggressive enough to clean most buildups, but not harmful to the pipe’s integrity. Models are available in light, medium, and heavy density foam. The pigs are constructed from an open-cell polyurethane foam with a durable polyurethane elastomer coating in a criss-cross pattern and embedded with plastic bristle straps.
Browse Plastic Bristle Foam Pigs for Pipeline Cleaning
For more heavy duty pipeline cleaning, the Pigs Unlimited "Stud" or Decoking Pig removes the hardest coke and encrustations from the pipe. The tungsten steel studs scrape or break the coke layers loose while the water flows around the pig to create a low / high pressure turbulence. This action flushes loosened deposits from the cleaning studs ahead of the pig.
Steel Pigs for Pipeline Cleaning
Steel mandrel brush cleaning pigs are used during pre-commission and on-stream cleaning where rust, mill scale, sand, wax, organic growth, mud, oxides, and other foreign matter exist. Sizes range from 2″ through 48″, with brush configurations including wire wheel, split-ring, wrap-around, and spring-loaded.
Conical Cup Pigs can be equipped with brushes, blades, or gauging plates, allowing tem to perform all the duties of batching, gauging, hydrostatic testing, product removal, pre-commissioning and on-stream cleaning. The conical cup design allows for negotiation of varying internal pipe diameters and up to 15% reductions or deformations in nominal same size pipe.
Pigs Unlimited International LLC is a leader in pipeline cleaning and carries a wide range of in-stock pipe cleaning equipment including foam pigs, steel mandrel pigs, other types pipeline cleaning pigs, related components such as brushes, cups, discs, blades, and more.