Cylindrical corrosion barrier for pipe connections

Abstract

A connection joining abutted ends of pipe includes a sleeve therein which provides a continuous seal to protect the juncture of the pipe ends and the interior portions of the pipe adjacent the pipe ends from the materials passing through the pipe. The sleeve may be configured from a non-metallic material, such as PTFE, and a plurality of seal rings may be located on the outer circumference thereof to seal the sleeve to the interior surface of the pipe. The non-metallic sleeve is inherently non-corrosive, and therefore no secondary protective coatings need be provided on the interior surfaces of the pipe connection to protect the weld. To position the sleeve in the pipe ends, the sleeve may include a plurality of removable spacer pins thereon which are removed from the sleeve before the weld connection is completed. The sleeve may include circumferential end recesses forming a minor diameter end portion which is receivable in a tubular barrier material where the pipe includes an internal barrier material. The sleeve may also be configured from a material having a greater elasticity than the pipe material, such that the sleeve material expands outwardly, when materials are flowed therethrough under pressure, to seal the pipe connection.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.