Grades of polyethylene pipes. Polyethylene pipes - specifications and other information

In this article, we examine what polyethylene pipes have specifications and performance properties.

Material

To the greatest extent, the properties of any object are determined by what it is made of. Polyethylene pipes are no exception.

And they are made of material, which is the most common of existing plastics.

Its physical properties are as follows:

Polyethylene does not react with acids, alkalis and alcohols. But it can destroy liquid chlorine and fluorine.
However, this usually does not threaten the vigilant owner of a polyethylene water supply system: the probability of meeting fluorine and chlorine in a free state is much less than the probability of meeting a British queen in the latrine of the Zhmerynka bus station.
Polyethylene is slightly lighter than water. Its density is approximately 0.94-0.96 g / cm3. Note: the fact that it does not sink in water does not characterize it from the bad side.
This is just a lightweight plastic. The weight of a polyethylene pipe of small and medium diameter will seem feasible even to a person who is far from the world record in power triathlon.
Polyethylene begins to soften and lose its initial form at a temperature of 80 C.
He is afraid of the light. Under natural conditions, polymerized ethylene turns into dust in about a year. Do not rush to mourn your new canister: to prevent this from happening, industry uses special modifiers that make polyethylene almost eternal. Environmentalists are crying in this place.

How much cleaner would it be if all the polyethylene decayed in a year ...

Tip: after all, it is advisable to deepen the entry into the house below the freezing point of the soil. If the internal water supply warms up, as soon as the temperature in the room rises above zero, then in the snowdrifts at -30 on the street - it’s a pleasure.

In addition, during the winter absence, it is advisable to dump water from the pipes for one more reason: the ice is not terrible to the pipes, but it will break the mixers.

Pipe specifications

Technical characteristics of polyethylene pipes stem from the properties of the material.

Working temperature

For all, without exception, polyethylene pipes, the operating temperature is limited to 40 degrees Celsius. All that is more than that is at your own peril and risk. The manufacturer did not promise you this.

The lower limit of the operating temperature is 0 C, the freezing point of water. This does not mean that at -10 pipes will crumble to dust: it will outlast the cosmic cold as well, but water will not be able to circulate through it. It just turns into ice.

Operating pressure

For a pipe, the maximum working pressure is determined by several factors:

Brand of polyethylene. Other things being equal, low density polyethylene PE32 is much less durable than high density polyethylene PE100.
Wall thickness. It seems that there is no need to explain. The wall is thicker - the pipe is stronger.
Pipe diameter. Large diameter polyethylene pipes have a much larger inner surface per meter.
Each atmosphere of excess pressure is an extra kilogram per square centimeter of area. Larger area - greater total pressure. And all these kilograms try to stretch the wall of a fixed thickness!

In general, the maximum working pressure is from 6 to 16 atmospheres. Indirectly, the working pressure is indicated by the numbers after the letters STR in the marking: the lower this parameter, the more the pipe is resistant to pressure.

Diameters

The diameters of polyethylene pipes are completely dependent on the application. In the internal water supply systems of private houses and city apartments, the most popular are 20 mm in diameter. Large diameter polyethylene pipes are used in the installation of highways supplying water to large areas of the city. They can also be used as walls of wells.

According to current regulatory documents, the minimum diameter of the produced polyethylene pipe is 10 mm, the maximum is 1200. The wall thickness varies from 2 mm to 6 centimeters.

Specific gravity

The weight of polyethylene pipes is directly proportional to its diameter and wall thickness. It can be easily calculated by multiplying the surface area of \u200b\u200ba running meter of the pipe (it is calculated as S \u003d 2 π rh, where r is the radius of the pipe, h \u003d 1m) by the wall thickness and density of polyethylene.

So, large-diameter polyethylene pipes used for water supply mains with a diameter of 1200 mm and a wall thickness of 6 cm will weigh: 1.2 * 3.1415 * 1 * 0.06 * 960 \u003d 217 kg per linear meter.

In order not to leave any ambiguities: 1.2 - two pipe radii in meters, 3.1415 - pi number, 0.06 - wall thickness again in meters, 960 - specific gravity of a cubic meter of high density polyethylene.

As you can see, in the case of a large diameter, the weight of the polyethylene pipe makes manual installation impossible.

Roughness

When calculating the throughput of a pipe, it is necessary to take into account its resistance to water flow. It, in turn, linearly depends on the state of the inner surface.

The roughness level of polyethylene pipes is estimated at approximately 0.005 mm or less. When calculating the required clearance, the roughness coefficient of polyethylene pipes is taken equal to 0.01 - 0.1.

In order not to frighten with strange and obscure formulas, let's say this: with a pipe diameter of up to 80 mm, a polyethylene pipe can be placed one step thinner than a steel one. 32 instead of 40 mm and so on. With large diameters, friction against the walls to a lesser extent affects the flow rate, so the diameter is taken the same.

Margin of safety

With the declared operating pressure of, say, 10 atmospheres, the pipe should actually withstand much more. This is directly related to the safe operation of water and gas pipelines.

The safety factor of polyethylene pipes is taken to be 1.25 for water and 2.0 - 3.15 for gas pipelines.

Durability

The service life of polyethylene pipes is estimated to be indefinite “50+ years”. On the practical side, believe me, the walls of the house will require major repairs much earlier than the correctly assembled polyethylene water supply flows.

Tip: from modern materials, longevity can only be thought of in the case of non-galvanized steel pipes.

It is better for everyone else to compare other consumer characteristics, otherwise you can become depressed: they will probably live more than you and me.

Conclusion

Having found out which polyethylene pipes have technical specifications, you can make a choice in their favor or dwell on another material. In any case - good luck!

Most modern piping systems are made of polyethylene, a polymeric material with unique properties that distinguish it from traditional pipe and pipe products. The latest production technologies have made it possible to put the strength characteristics of polyethylene pipes almost on a level with steel pipes, and even higher in terms of wear resistance and durability.

Basic properties

All are created from a thermoplastic polymerization product of a lower hydrocarbon - ethylene, which gives products from it similar characteristics:

The density of the pipe material is 0.94-0.96 g / cm 3,
The operating temperature ranges from -60 to +90 0 C, the optimal mode is from 0 to 40 0 \u200b\u200bC,
Permissible working pressure of the contents is up to 16 atm,
The diameter of polyethylene pipes can be from 20 to 1600 mm,
The wall thickness is made from 2 to 60 mm.

ATTENTION! The indicated numbers are true for most grades of polyethylene, but there are exceptions. There are such types of polyethylene materials, the products of which are able to withstand much higher loads - mechanical, chemical and temperature.

Benefits

Polyethylene pipes have a very long service life - more than 60 years in standard conditions, which is explained by the following capabilities of this material:

Elasticity due to which the pipe does not deteriorate even when its contents freeze. In this case, it can only deform slightly - stretch in diameter.
Resistance to common chemicals - various acids, alcohols and alkalis, and for some species, even to fats and gas products. Polyethylene does not withstand contact only with liquid fluorine and chlorine, but these substances in their pure form are extremely rare, therefore such contact is unlikely.
The lack of biodegradability through decay and fungus, as well as destruction by insects and rodents.
A period of natural decomposition of more than 100 years.
The absolute absence of toxic secretions, which allows you to use them in direct contact with food products and lay without additional protection.
The ability to be an excellent insulator for liquids and gases, which allows you to not let anything in or out.
The smoothness of the inner walls. This factor determines a small percentage of their contamination and the appearance of growths.
Light weight products. Polyethylene is even lighter than water, due to which the construction of communication systems with the participation of polyethylene pipes does not require the strengthening of supports, especially strong fasteners and the use of great physical force.
Ease of installation work. Slight heating or fastening with sockets and couplings is sufficient for connecting individual pipe sections.

INTERESTING! Polymerized ethylene can serve as an excellent sound insulator. The use of polyethylene pipes instead of their metal counterparts helps to reduce at times the level of noise coming from communications.

disadvantages

Despite the versatility of PE pipes, they have disadvantages associated with the structural features of the material:

Products do not withstand high temperatures, they are mainly intended for transporting cold liquids and gases.
Pure polyethylene becomes brittle after prolonged exposure to sunlight. To protect against ultraviolet radiation, the pipes are processed according to one of the following methods:
- paint (preferably acrylic)
- block with protective materials,
- even at the manufacturing stage, special protective substances are added to polyethylene.

Features of polyethylene pipes

Polyethylene has many varieties that are the result of different technologies for its manufacture. Together with differences in design, we get pipes with different technical characteristics that can be used for a variety of needs.

Materials

The material for the manufacture of PE pipes can be:

LDPE - a low density polyethylene product manufactured at high pressure,
HDPE - a polymer with a high density, obtained at low pressure,
Supermolecular or cross-linked polyethylene having a very high density and strong intermolecular bonds, similar to the crystal lattice of the most durable solids.

The higher the density of the substance, the harder, stronger and the higher the melting temperature. So, "cross-linked" polyethylene melts only at temperatures above 170 0 C, and pipes from it easily take pressure up to 25 atm. However, such properties as the elasticity of the material and the flexibility of the tubular products, which in some cases may even be more useful than strength, are lost.

Constructions

Depending on the destination, PE pipes are made:

Different diameters and wall thicknesses. Products with thicker walls withstand more pressure, that is, they can be used for pressure or pressureless water pipes, sewers, etc.,
Single or multi-layer, in the production of which the same or different materials are used for the manufacture of each layer. They give greater tensile and tensile strength while maintaining the elasticity and smoothness of the internal surfaces (for example, corrugated on the outside and smooth inside).
Reinforced, perforated and others having higher rates for those characteristics that need to be improved for the specific purpose of the pipe.

Or heating was considered a novelty, but today they are quite widely used. Polyethylene pipes, the technical characteristics of which greatly distinguish them from metal ones, sometimes serve their masters even more than 50 years. So what is their feature?

Overview of polyethylene pipes

The first and main advantage of such a pipe is its resistance to corrosion. It is thanks to her that they can withstand a sufficiently long period of time without repair. In addition, polyethylene and sewage systems are not exposed. The inner part of them is smooth, which can significantly increase throughput. Even after many years of operation, polyethylene pipes for water supply, heating or sewage differ by a much better pass than metal, due to the fact that no deposits remain on their walls. Shaped parts can be created not only from plastic, but also from metal. In addition, condensation cannot form on their surface. These advantages made polyethylene pipes (their technical characteristics will be described below) so popular.

Characteristics of polyethylene pipes

If we consider polyethylene pipes (technical specifications), sewer, plumbing or heating, then first you need to pay attention to the brand of material that is used in their composition, then we will talk about indicators of pipe resistance to pressure from the inside and about the diameter of the product. That is why, if you want to learn more about what polyethylene pipes are, their technical characteristics and features, you should first familiarize yourself with what types of polyethylene are:

PE 63 (not applicable today).
PE 80 - has good properties and can withstand a fairly high pressure of any liquids. This brand is used in the creation of pipes of small diameter, which are laid for water supply.
PE 100 - is used to create pipes with a large diameter, which are used in the construction of pipelines with cold water supply.

The diameter, which is also included in the characteristics of polyethylene pipes, can be completely different. The range is from 20 mm to 120 cm. Their length largely depends on what their diameter is. So, for example, from 20 to 110 mm suggests that its length does not exceed 50 meters.

The advantages of large diameter polyethylene pipes

Recently, it is pipes with a large diameter that are in greatest demand. This can be explained by the fact that they are used for the construction of pressurized water supply, drainage system, or sewer. They have several important advantages over metal models:

Production, installation and operation are cheaper than in the case of metal.
If the water inside freezes, then nothing bad will happen.
The weight of the pipe is significantly lower, which makes transportation and installation easier.
Technical polyethylene pipe is safe and non-toxic.
When transporting, you do not need to worry, as they are not dangerous goods.
Resistant to bumps and sprains. The joints are more reliable and durable, which increases the life of the pipe.

Polyethylene sewer pipes

Thanks to polyethylene, the sewage system has acquired a new look, and its quality has significantly improved. The fact is that polyethylene helps to improve the development of the system itself, and its construction is many times easier and faster. For example, you can use the so-called trenchless laying. Polyethylene pipes, the technical characteristics of which help them not to be affected even by strong chemicals, can be easily transported and mounted. Their connection is considered more durable and reliable, which helps protect against accidents.

Corrugated polyethylene pipes

This one for sewers and water pipes is made of special two-layer polyethylene. As a rule, they use the brand PE 80, which in diameter is most suitable for this model. Pipes are resistant to chemicals. Due to the special ring stiffness, which is quite high, corrugated polyethylene pipes can be mounted using a hidden method at a depth of one to twenty meters. There is polyethylene for the so-called external sewage drains.

Pressure pipes for sewers and water supply

Polyethylene grade 80 is the most durable of all known to date. That is why it is used to create special polyethylene pipes that withstand both high and low pressure. They can be used without problems even in a very aggressive environment, but the main area of \u200b\u200bapplication is still water supply. For sewers, they are not suitable. The diameter of such pipes most popular today is from 2 to 6.3 cm.

Well-known manufacturers of polyethylene pipes

In construction stores today, from a huge variety and assortment of polyethylene pipes, eyes simply run up. If you do not know which pipes are best to purchase, you should first find out who produces these models.

The most popular company for the production of polyethylene pipes for sewers and water supply today is Rehau. It creates high-quality and sufficiently durable products that are suitable for water supply and sewage systems of any complexity and length. In addition, the polyethylene water pipe, the technical characteristics of which indicate its high quality, is distinguished by its ease of assembly, ease of transportation and ease of the system itself.

Wavin from the Netherlands produces polyethylene pipes for sewers. Choosing this company, for a long time you will forget what repair is. The main feature of Wavin polyethylene pipes is that they have high soundproofing properties and also withstand high temperatures (up to 90 degrees).

Russian manufacturers also do not lag behind foreign ones and produce pipes made of high-quality polyethylene of the so-called low pressure. Such models are of lower cost, therefore, are quite popular among builders and buyers.

Pipeline products made of polyethylene are widely used for laying highways for various purposes. Therefore, it is important to know the operational properties of products and what is the main technical characteristic of polyethylene pipes. The information provided in this article will help more accurately determine the optimal option for the use of polyethylene products for the installation of a plumbing or other system.

Polyethylene Properties

To a greater extent, the physical parameters of the pipes are determined by the properties of the material from which they are made. Polyethylene is one of the most popular types of plastic, from which many products are made, including piping. The popularity of polyethylene is due to a whole arsenal of positive properties, thanks to which it differs for the better from alternative products. The main ones are:

resistance to solar ultraviolet and high humidity, due to the addition of special modifiers in the production;
non-exposure to acids, alkalis and alcohol components;

It must be borne in mind that polyethylene is easily susceptible to liquid chlorine and fluorine. From interaction with these chemical elements, PE products are destroyed. True, it is practically impossible to meet these destructive chemical elements in a free form.

low density of the polyethylene pipe (about 0.950 g / cm³), which makes it light;
the ability to withstand a sufficiently high temperature without changing its shape and structure;
high elasticity;
the small weight of the polyethylene pipe helps to prevent the products from drowning in water; they are very simple during transportation and loading and unloading operations.

Due to such properties of polyethylene, it has found application for the manufacture of pipeline products for laying mainly water, gas and sewer systems.