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In the early agricultural water transportation projects, metal pipes and concrete pipes were widely used. They provided a good path for water delivery, but in the process, they also exposed many of their problems, such as being easy to corrode, easy to rust, heavy in weight, and high in cost.
Later, with the progress of the times, plastic pipes began to step onto the historical stage. They overcame many shortcomings of traditional pipes and became the main role in agricultural piping systems.
The plastic pipes used in agriculture mainly include PE pipe, PVC pipe, and double wall corrugated pipe. Why can they be widely used in agriculture? This is thanks to their excellent characteristics. This post will introduce some of their performance features.
PE Pipe
The full name of PE pipe is polyethylene pipe. Ethylene monomers can be polymerized into PE resin, and this process is affected by pressure and temperature, resulting in resins of different densities. Therefore, PE pipe is divided into high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE pipe), medium-density polyethylene pipe (MDPE pipe), and low-density polyethylene pipe (LDPE pipe).
In agricultural irrigation, HDPE pipe is used as the main water supply pipe due to its better pressure resistance. Drip tape used for drip irrigation generally belongs to LDPE pipe, while dripline usually belongs to MDPE pipe.
Compared with traditional pipes, these PE pipes have the following performance characteristics:
1. PE pipe (HDPE pipe) is generally connected by electrofusion or hot-melt welding. This type of connection is very strong and not likely to break or leak.
2. PE pipe has very good low-temperature resistance. Even in extremely cold winter conditions, it can still maintain good quality and impact resistance. It is not easy to become brittle or break.
3. Polyethylene is an electrically insulating material and does not chemically react with substances in the soil. Therefore, PE pipe is a non-degradable pipe material that does not rust or corrode easily.
4. It also has good UV resistance, is aging-resistant, and has a long service life.
5. Compared with steel pipes and concrete pipes, PE pipe has a great advantage in weight. Because it is lighter, it is very convenient to transport and install, which reduces a lot of costs.
PVC Pipe
Here, we divide PVC pipe into two types: uPVC pipe and PVC-M pipe. Let’s introduce them one by one.
The full name of uPVC pipe is unplasticized polyvinyl chloride pipe. It uses PVC-U as the main raw material, with most of the content being PVC resin and a small part consisting of some additives.
uPVC pipe has very good hardness, and it also performs well in terms of aging resistance, corrosion resistance, and long service life. In addition, its connection method is mainly socket or threaded connection, which makes installation not only convenient but also highly sealed, so it is not easy to leak. Overall, its comprehensive cost is also better than metal pipes, and it is widely used in agricultural water transportation projects.
However, it should be noted that uPVC pipe has high rigidity, which makes it lack some toughness. Therefore, its impact resistance is relatively weak, and care should be taken during construction to avoid damage caused by hard object collisions.
Is there a type of PVC pipe that combines both hardness and toughness? PVC-M pipe fits this characteristic perfectly! It is an improved version of traditional PVC pipe. It not only has good rigidity, but also toughness, so its impact resistance has been greatly improved. During transportation and installation, it can effectively resist external impacts.
In addition, PVC-M pipe also meets environmental protection requirements and ensures that the water being transported is not polluted.
Double Wall Corrugated Pipe
Double wall corrugated pipe is mainly divided into two types: one made of PVC-U material, and the other made of HDPE material. PVC double wall corrugated pipe has better rigidity, while HDPE double wall corrugated pipe has better toughness and impact resistance.
In agriculture, HDPE double wall corrugated pipe is generally used more. It is made from high-density polyethylene, and its physical characteristics are: a smooth inner wall and a circular corrugated structure on the outer surface.
HDPE double wall corrugated pipe is not only frequently used in agricultural irrigation and water transportation projects, but also commonly seen in construction and urban infrastructure projects.
The reason HDPE double wall corrugated pipe can be used so widely lies in its many advantages. For example, it is very strong and durable, has good corrosion resistance, and can adapt to many different environments. Its ring-shaped corrugated structure provides it with rigidity, making it similar to PVC-M pipe in that it combines both hardness and toughness.
The smooth inner wall of the HDPE double wall corrugated pipe reduces water flow resistance, increases flow rate, and ultimately not only improves water delivery efficiency but also helps prevent pipe blockage to some extent.
In addition, HDPE double wall corrugated pipe is inexpensive, with low production, transportation, and installation costs, making it very cost-effective!
Final Words
This article has introduced some performance characteristics and advantages of PE pipe, PVC pipe, and HDPE double wall corrugated pipe. These features make them capable of replacing traditional steel and concrete pipes, becoming the backbone of agricultural water transportation projects! I hope this post can be helpful to you!
Finally, please allow me to introduce our company. Rainfaun is an irrigation product manufacturer headquartered in China. Pipes and fittings are one of our main product lines, including PVC pipe and fittings, BSP thread pipe and fittings, PP fittings, lay flat hose, dripline, drip tape, valves, and so on. You can find information about Rainfaun and our products on this website.
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Author: Michael
Editor: Michael
Content Reviewer: Michael
