HDPE pipe: characteristics and application

Plastic accessories for plumbing appeared in our country around the middle of the 90s of the last century, after which they almost instantly replaced the cast iron and steel counterparts. This is especially true for water pipes. It would seem that for such a time the HDPE pipe (the characteristics of which we will describe below) should have worked well, but some of us still refer to plastic with a certain amount of skepticism to this day. Let's talk about these products in more detail.

What are these pipes made of?

The technology of production is such that the process of crosslinking of ethylene molecules occurs at a pressure of 5 kg / cm ² . A material with a density of 0.941 g / cm is formed, which has good rigidity. Due to the crystal structure, it differs in opacity. Given that ethylene combines into compact molecules with a small branchiness, the strength of the resulting material is very high. The HDPE melts at a temperature of the order of 130 degrees, so when you use the standard products to be afraid of their failure due to the temperature factor, you should not. Thus, the HDPE pipe, the characteristics of which are so good, is excellent for the organization of water supply systems for private houses.

In addition, it has excellent resistance to the effects of fats and acids, which makes such pipes an optimal candidate for installing systems not only of water supply, but also of sewerage. It should be noted that under certain conditions it can also crack, but with the use of high molecular weight grades this will not happen. In principle, HDPE pipe, the technical characteristics of which are quite high, is used at temperatures up to -50 degrees Celsius.

In addition, HDPE produces packaging film, pipes and insulation for high voltage cables, wire mesh fences, furniture fittings and furniture itself, as well as a huge list of other products.

Main Product Features

However, we are interested in the technical properties not so much of the nets and fittings as the pipes themselves. Let's look at them in more detail.

Firstly, their service life is at least half a century. Chemists in the 50 years of the last century laid such stability in their design. As we have already said, they are not affected by aggressive chemical media. Moreover, the wandering currents do not act on polyethylene pipes , while metal pipes can be destroyed by them in just a few seasons. Yes, and the cost of their laying is almost lower by almost an order: in the end, if necessary, even one person will cope with such work. And all this is the HDPE pipe. The technical practice of using them has clearly shown that even the scum does not form on them, so you can safely forget about the necessity of punching and spoilage of equipment.

Please note that even at very low ambient temperatures, which lead to ruptures of standard metal products, polyethylene remains completely unscathed. This is due to the fact that the thermal conductivity of this material is extremely low. That is why the HDPE pipe (the characteristics of which we have considered) can be used with equal success not only in a temperate climate, but also in the Far North. By the way, even at extremely low temperatures, when the water still freezes inside the product, nothing terrible will happen: polyethylene simply expand by 5-7%, so that the ice will not be able to break it.

These same properties provide excellent resistance to water hammering, so that even the pranks of public utilities do not threaten you. If something happens, the repair will not take much time. In addition, the HDPE pipe, whose characteristics also allow its welding, will not lose strength even over welded seams with time .