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A wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product for application to flexible, armored pipe is in the form of an elongate tape of generally rectangular cross-section, optionally being provided with interlocking and/or overlapping portions so as to provide a continuous insulating layer when one or mor

A wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product for application to flexible, armored pipe is in the form of an elongate tape of generally rectangular cross-section, optionally being provided with interlocking and/or overlapping portions so as to provide a continuous insulating layer when one or more layers of the tape are wound around the pipe. The interlocking and/or overlapping portions may be of various configurations. The tape is comprised of polystyrene or a styrene-based thermoplastic having high compressive creep resistance, high compressive strength and low thermal conductivity and may be foamed or unfoamed. A flexible, armored pipe incorporates one or more layers of the wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product between an outer armor layer and an outer polymeric sheath.

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1. A wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product for application to a flexible, armoured pipe, comprising: an elongate tape comprising a flat, planar portion of generally rectangular cross-section and having a first major surface, an opposed second major surface, and a pair of opposed side surfac

1. A wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product for application to a flexible, armoured pipe, comprising: an elongate tape comprising a flat, planar portion of generally rectangular cross-section and having a first major surface, an opposed second major surface, and a pair of opposed side surfaces extending between the first and second major surfaces, a width and a thickness, wherein the width of the flat, planar portion is greater than the thickness;wherein the tape is comprised of polystyrene or a styrene-based thermoplastic and has the following properties:triaxial compressive creep resistance of 0-10% compression after 20 years at 60 degrees C. under a load of about 5-15 MPa;uniaxial compressive strength >25 MPa; andthermal conductivity ≦0.170 W/mK. 2. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the side surfaces are substantially straight, and are oriented at substantially right angles to the first and major surfaces. 3. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the side surfaces are continuously rounded between the first and second major surfaces. 4. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the flat planar portion is provided with rounded edges at corners between the side surfaces and the first and second major surfaces, and wherein the side surfaces include straight portions extending between said rounded edges. 5. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, further comprising at least one overlapping portion connected to the flat, planar portion and extending therefrom, wherein the overlapping portion is adapted to engage an adjacent winding of said thermal insulation tape, after it is wound around said pipe. 6. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 5, wherein the tape has one said overlapping portion extending from one of said side surfaces in a direction which is generally parallel to at least one of said first and second major surfaces; wherein the overlapping portion is adapted to engage a part of the flat planar portion of an adjacent winding of said thermal insulation tape, after it is wound around said pipe; andwherein at least one of the overlapping portion and the part of the flat planar portion which is adapted to be engaged by the overlapping portion, are of a reduced thickness relative to a maximum thickness of the flat planar portion, such that the thickness of the thermal insulation product, after it is wound around the pipe, is substantially the same as the maximum thickness of the flat planar portion of the tape. 7. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 6, wherein the tape comprises two of said overlapping portions, extending in opposite directions from said side surfaces and being generally parallel to at least one of said first and second major surfaces; wherein a first one of said overlapping portions is adapted to engage a second one of said overlapping portions of an adjacent winding of said thermal insulation tape, after it is wound around said pipe; andwherein at least one of the first and second overlapping portions has a reduced thickness relative to a maximum thickness of the flat planar portion, such that the thickness of the thermal insulation product, after it is wound around the pipe, is substantially the same as the maximum thickness of the flat planar portion of the tape. 8. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 5, wherein each of the at least one overlapping portion has a cross-sectional shape selected from rectangular and triangular. 9. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 5, wherein each of the at least one overlapping portion is provided with an interlocking portion which is adapted to interlock with an interlocking portion in an adjacent winding of said thermal insulation tape, after it is wound around said pipe. 10. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, further comprising at least one interlocking portion connected to the flat, planar portion and protruding at an angle to the first and second major surfaces, wherein the at least one interlocking portion is adapted to interlock with an interlocking portion in an adjacent winding of said thermal insulation tape, after it is wound around said pipe. 11. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein each of the interlocking portions protrudes from either the first or second major surface of the flat, planar portion. 12. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein the elongate band has two of said interlocking portions, both of which protrude from the first major surface of the flat, planar portion. 13. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein the elongate tape defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the elongate tape has a pair of edge portions extending along said longitudinal axis, and wherein each of the interlocking portions is located in one of said edge portions. 14. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein each of the interlocking portions protrudes from either the first or second surface of the flat, planar portion at an angle of about 90 degrees. 15. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein the interlocking portions all have substantially the same height. 16. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of any claim 10, wherein the elongate tape has a pair of said interlocking portions and is U-shaped in transverse cross-section. 17. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein the elongate tape has two of said interlocking portions, one of which protrudes from the first major surface of the flat planar portion, and the other of which protrudes from the second major surface of the flat planar portion. 18. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein the elongate tape has a pair of said interlocking portions and is S-shaped or Z-shaped in transverse cross-section. 19. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 10, wherein the elongate tape defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the elongate tape has a pair of edge portions extending along said longitudinal axis, and wherein the elongate tape has one of said interlocking portions located approximately midway between said edge portions. 20. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 19, wherein said one interlocking portion extends from said flat planar portion at an angle of about 90 degrees such that the elongate tape is T-shaped in transverse cross-section. 21. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the polystyrene or styrene-based thermoplastic is selected from one or more members of the group consisting of: polystyrene homopolymer, polystyrene copolymer, high-impact polystyrene and modified polystyrene. 22. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 21, wherein the modified polystyrene comprises polystyrene which is blended, grafted or copolymerized with butadiene, polybutadiene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene-1, polyphenylene oxide, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene, ethylene-propylene, acrylonitrile, butadiene-acrylonitrile, α-methyl styrene, acrylic ester, methyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, or polyphenylene ether. 23. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the polystyrene or styrene-based thermoplastic is unfoamed. 24. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the polystyrene or styrene-based thermoplastic is foamed and contains gas bubbles and/or hollow micro-spheres, and wherein a degree of foaming is about 5-50 percent. 25. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, wherein the elongate tape has a core layer which is foamed and a surface layer surrounding the core layer, wherein the surface layer is unfoamed. 26. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, having a density in the range from about 700-1050 kg/m3. 27. The wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 26, having a density in the range from about 850-1030 kg/m3. 28. A flexible, armoured pipe comprising a flexible, cylindrical metal carcass surrounded by at least one layer of flexible metal armour; wherein the pipe further comprises a layer of thermal insulation surrounding the armour;wherein the layer of thermal insulation is comprised of one or more layers of the wrappable, styrenic thermal insulation product of claim 1, and wherein each layer of the tape is comprised of a plurality of windings arranged adjacent to one another;wherein the thermal insulation tape is comprised of a thermoplastic material, and comprises a flat, planar portion which is substantially parallel to an axis defined by the carcass and the armour. 29. The flexible, armoured pipe of claim 28, wherein the pipe further comprises an external, polymeric sheath provided over the armour, and wherein the at least one layer of thermal insulation is located between the armour and the external, polymeric sheath.