Every time we turn on a tap, we trust that clean water will appear without giving much thought to the journey it has taken. Before reaching a home, school or hospital, drinking water travels through kilometres of pipework and countless connections, many buried beneath roads and pavements where they must work quietly for decades.
Those connections have a difficult job. They face pressure, shifting ground and constant moisture, while keeping drinking water safe and preventing leaks. Metal is strong but can corrode. Plastic resists corrosion, although it may not provide the same strength in demanding conditions.
ISIFLO wanted a fitting with the strength of metal but without its vulnerability to corrosion underground.
Strength where the network needs it most
ISIFLO developed a composite reinforced with 65% glass fibre. It gives the fittings strength comparable with metal and very high resistance to corrosion. They are also lead free and have a projected working life close to 100 years.
The glass fibres work like steel reinforcement inside concrete. Hidden within the material, they give the fitting the strength to withstand the forces around it, while the composite protects it from corrosion.
For water network operators, this means a secure, long-lasting connection that can reduce leakage and protect more of the treated drinking water on its way to customers.
A fitting that lasts longer does more than reduce maintenance. It helps protect every drop passing through it.
“We wanted the strength people expect from metal without the corrosion that can shorten a connection’s life,” says Lars Kristian Ølstad of ISIFLO.
It had to be safe for drinking water and make sense over many decades in the ground. Looking at all of those demands together led us to the composite.”
Lower impact from the start
The benefit starts in production. The composite is heated to around 250°C, while metal fittings can require several stages at temperatures from about 600°C to 1,000°C. Lower temperatures mean less energy is needed for each fitting.
A life cycle analysis found that the composite fitting has less than half the carbon footprint of an equivalent brass fitting. With a projected life close to a century, customers can lower carbon impact without giving up reliability or performance.
ISIFLO also works with local suppliers wherever possible, helping to shorten the production chain.
Protecting drinking water for generations
A fitting that stays in service longer does not need to be dug up and replaced as often. That can mean fewer roads reopened, fewer replacement materials and less treated drinking water lost before it reaches the people it was intended for.
Most people will never see an ISIFLO fitting beneath the road. For close to a century, it can simply help clean water arrive whenever they turn on the tap.
Facts & figures
- 65% glass fibre: Reinforced composite for metal-like strength
- ~100 years: Projected working life
- <50% carbon footprint: Compared with an equivalent brass fitting
- ~250°C: Production temperature for the composite
- Lead free: Designed for safe drinking-water applications
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Lars Kristian Ølstad
