Why Use Plastics in Piping Systems

Today most industries make use of plastic materials or components for their processes. Plastic piping system can be found in the chemical industry, automotive industry, hospitals, and aeronautical engineering. Hi-tech plastics are so versatile that they are becoming irreplaceable as they are beneficial both economically and ecologically. Let us understand a few of its application in detail through this article.

Plastic pipe systems find application in a wide variety of services, like the sewer (high chemical resistant), conveyance of drinking water or chemicals, compressed air and vacuum system etc. The principal advantages of plastic piping systems can be listed as follows:

• Corrosion free
• Leak free systems
• Resistant and lightweight
• Flexible
• Reliable and durable
• Cost-effective

Plastics don’t erode and are free from leakages that traditional iron and steel pipes undergo. Being corrosion free is one of the foremost advantages of plastics over metals. It is low in maintenance and is resistant to corrosion or rust. Plastic pipes never have to be painted to withstand corrosion or to withstand climatic changes. Even the interiors of plastic pipe remain smooth for years resulting in good flow rates.

Cost is another big benefit for using plastic over other metal systems. Depending on the size and complexity of the piping system involved, a metal system could cost up to 13 times that of a plastic system.

The flexibility of plastic allows it to be coiled and supplied in lengths to avoid joints, resulting in saving cost and time. High levels of stress can easily be tolerated by the pipe wall as compared to traditional materials because the strains get redistributed, making the ground pipe system stable. Plastic pipes are flexible to follow the soil movement/settlement, which means a good installation of pipes will result in good soil settlement, limiting further deflection of pipes. This ensures that the pipe functions properly without breaking.

Exceptions to this are rigid pipes, which bears all ground loadings and can quickly break if it exceeds its stress limit.

The plastic piping system comes with a long lifespan and has proven to be in service for more than 5 decades now. Plastic pipes are also known to have pressure-bearing capabilities for over 50 years.

There is a lot done with regards to plastic piping materials over the last decade. Significant engineering advancements have been made to the plastic piping system that provides adequate tensile strength and operation up to 200 Fahrenheit. The durability of the plastic piping systems has given it a track record of trouble-free service with lowered cost. Over the years it has gradually developed as an integrated pipe and fitting systems. The future development in the plastic piping system is likely to be with multilayer and composite pipe constructions to satisfy specific application requirements of the industry.

To know more about how plastics can make things easier for your business, be a part of Plastivision, the most awaited plastic tradeshow.