Description

TL;DR

The EMT criss-cross foam pig with brush is a flexible pipeline cleaning tool that adds steel or poly bristles to a criss-cross polyurethane body. It chips heavy scale, rust, and wax that smooth pigs leave behind. It handles 2 to 48 inch lines through 1.5D bends.

Product Introduction

The criss-cross foam pig with brush is EMT’s most aggressive foam cleaning tool for pipelines that carry hardened deposits. It pairs a flexible polyurethane body with a criss-cross abrasive pattern and embedded brush bristles. The brushes mechanically chip scale, rust, and baked-on wax that smooth or lightly striped pigs slide over.

Key points:
– Brush attack — Steel or poly bristles break hard deposits the foam body alone cannot reach
– Flexible core — Polyurethane foam compresses through 1.5D bends and reduced-bore valves without jamming
– Criss-cross backing — Diagonal strips hold the brushes against the wall for continuous contact
– Multi-phase run — Performs in crude, gas, water, and dual-phase service

Unlike a bare criss-cross pig, the brush version adds physical bristles that reach pits, corners, and weld spatter the foam surface misses.

  Solve Problems

When an operator runs a smooth or lightly stripped foam pig through a heavily fouled line, it pushes loose debris but leaves iron sulfide, mineral scale, and hardened wax bonded to the wall. That forces a rigid steel pig — which risks jamming in deformed or reduced-bore pipe.

Q: Why choose a brush foam pig over a bare criss-cross pig?
A: A bare criss-cross pig only scrapes soft deposits. The brush version adds bristles that fracture hard scale and lift rust from pits during the same pass. It delivers near-steel-pig cleaning while staying flexible enough for tight bends. One pass replaces a risky rigid run.

Technical Parameters

EMT builds every brush pig from high-resilience polyurethane with full material traceability and selectable bristle media. Standard and custom sizes are available on request.

Parameter	Specification
Available Sizes	2″-48″ (DN50-DN1200)
Body Material	Open-cell / closed-cell polyurethane foam
Base Pattern	Diagonal (criss-cross) polyurethane abrasive strips
Bristle Options	Carbon steel wire / abrasive nylon (poly) bristles
Bristle Length	6-25 mm (custom per deposit hardness)
Foam Density	30-150 kg/m³ (2-9 lb/ft³)
Temperature Range	-40°C to 100°C
Max Operating Pressure	≤ 10 MPa differential (typical)
Min. Bend Radius	1.5D
Compatibility	Gas, liquid, dual-phase service
Design Standard	NACE SP0102 Pipeline Pigging Practice
Certifications	ISO 9001, EN 10204 3.1 material certificates

Product Advantages

• Hard-deposit removal — Brushes chip scale and rust the foam body alone cannot lift
• Bend-friendly body — Polyurethane core passes 1.5D bends without the jam risk of rigid steel pigs
• Configurable aggression — Pick steel wire for rust or poly bristles for coating-safe scrubbing
• Long service life — High-density PU body plus replaceable bristles extends runs in abrasive lines
• One-tool coverage — Handles crude, gas, water, and dual-phase fouling in a single configuration

Where Is a Criss-Cross Foam Pig with Brush Used?

• Crude oil trunk lines — Removing wax and asphaltene buildup that reforms after light pigging
• Sour gas systems — Lifting iron sulfide scale from wet, corrosive sections
• Pre-commissioning cleanup — Clearing weld spatter and construction debris before first flow
• Refinery turnarounds — Scrubbing hard coke and mineral scale from plant piping
• Water injection networks — Stripping mineral scale that fouls injectors and pumps
• Subsea tiebacks — One-pass aggressive clean where launcher access is limited

About EMT

EMT is a Shenyang-based manufacturer of oil and gas pipeline accessories with 25+ years of engineering experience in the energy sector.
Our rigorous and unwavering commitment to quality control over the years has made our pig indicators listed as the sole Chinese brand products in the optional products in multiple CNOOC projects. As early as 2010, we began providing products for oil projects in the Asia, Africa and Latin America region, with long-term and ongoing projects such as PDOC, DPOC, Hafaya, Misan, and Graf oil fields, and without receiving any negative quality feedback. At present, our products have also been recognized by companies such as CCED, Oxy, Saudi Aramco, and Shell, and have become members of the “Pigging Products and Services Association (PPSA)”, presenting yet another way for pipe project contractors to access affordable, top-tier products.

Exhibitions

EMT regularly exhibits at major oil and gas events worldwide:

• ADIPEC 2025, Abu Dhabi, UAE (November 2025)
• NACE Corrosion 2025, Houston, TX, USA (March 2025)
• OTC Asia 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (March 2025)
• Hannover Messe 2025, Hannover, Germany (April 2025)

Pre-show meeting requests can be sent via the contact page to schedule dedicated engineering time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a criss-cross foam pig with brush used for?

A: It removes hardened pipeline deposits — scale, rust, baked-on wax, and weld spatter — that smooth pigs leave behind. The brush bristles chip bonded material while the flexible foam body keeps wall contact through bends.

Q: How does a brush foam pig differ from a bare criss-cross foam pig?

A: A bare criss-cross pig only scrapes soft deposits with diagonal strips. The brush version adds steel or poly bristles that fracture hard scale and lift rust from pits. It cleans more aggressively while staying flexible enough for tight-radius bends.

Q: What bristle type should I choose for my line?

A: Use carbon steel wire bristles for heavy rust and mineral scale. Choose abrasive nylon (poly) bristles when you need scrubbing power without risking the pipe coating. EMT sizes bristle length to your deposit hardness.

Q: What sizes are available for the foam pig?

A: EMT supplies the criss-cross foam pig with brush from 2 to 48 inch (DN50-DN1200). Custom diameters, foam densities, and bristle configurations are available on request to match your line profile.

Q: Can the brush pig handle tight pipeline bends?

A: Yes. The polyurethane body compresses through bends down to 1.5D radius and passes reduced-bore valves. Its flexibility prevents the jamming common with rigid steel pigs, even during aggressive cleaning.

Related Product

• 

  Compared with a Criss-Cross Foam Pig with Brush, the Brush Pig features a more rigid and durable structure, making it better suited for heavier-duty cleaning and pipelines with tougher deposits. Its brush elements provide consistent scraping action and can offer longer service life in demanding operating conditions. In contrast, the Criss-Cross Foam Pig with Brush combines a flexible foam body with abrasive strips and brushes, offering better adaptability to pipe geometry and excellent debris collection and wiping performance.

  Brush Pig is therefore a practical choice for aggressive cleaning, heavy deposits, and repeated pipeline maintenance, while the Criss-Cross Foam Pig with Brush is more suitable when flexibility, wiping, and cleaning efficiency are the priorities.