PVC pipe reinforced with fiberglass. Characteristics of polypropylene glass fiber reinforced pipes for heating

The use of polypropylene pipes in the heating system greatly simplified the installation work. At the same time, the quality indicators did not decrease. Fiberglass used for reinforcement made it possible to create durable products. In terms of its quality characteristics, this material is not inferior to aluminum, but at the same time, installation is as simple and reliable as conventional propylene products.

Characteristics and properties

Reinforced polypropylene has high protective properties and quality characteristics. Reinforcement with fiberglass allows you to create a three-layer structure. The outer and inner layers are polypropylene inserts. Fiberglass is between the main layers. Such pipes have a special marking - PPR-FB-PPR.

The fiberglass layer merges with the main mass, which prevents damage to the integrity of the structure. The material has low thermal conductivity. This makes it possible to maintain the temperature of the coolant.

Products with the use of fiberglass do not delaminate and are distinguished by excellent durability.

Installation work is carried out by welding and does not require calibration and cleaning of segments.

Main advantages

Polypropylene pipelines have excellent properties:

• not subject to corrosion, this extends the service life several times;
• able to withstand high working pressure;
• resistant to biochemical and chemical influences;
• have low indicators of hydraulic resistance, which reduces the pressure loss to a minimum value;
• very strong and reliable;
• completely safe for humans.

In addition, using polypropylene fittings, you can create complex configurations and shapes. In terms of strength, polypropylene is much better than similar building materials. But when heated, it can deform: increase in size and lose the desired rigidity.

It was to eliminate such problems that it was decided to use fiberglass. This is an unusual solid framework, which is designed to keep the polymer in a standard state.

The fiberglass construction is able to withstand significant loads. This increases the ductility and rigidity of the product.

An important advantage of pipes reinforced with fiberglass is a long service life of up to 50 years.

Purpose and application

Due to their unique characteristics, polypropylene pipes are used in various systems: plumbing, sewerage and heating. The possibility of using such pipelines is affected by the value of their diameter.

Pipes with a diameter of 20 cm or more can be used for heating in public areas with a large flow of people: shopping centers, hotels and hospitals. Products with a diameter of 20 to 30 mm are characterized by good throughput and are used for heating in private homes.

20 mm pipelines are used for hot water systems, and products with a diameter of 25 mm are used for risers.
Products with a diameter of less than 17 mm are used for the installation of underfloor heating.

Fiberglass reinforced pipes are also used in agriculture. For example, for the organization of irrigation, drainage systems, as well as for the disposal of soil and wastewater.

Due to the high resistance to chemical aggressive environments, polypropylene pipes are in demand in industrial sectors. They are used to transport chemical solutions and compressed oxygen.

Comparative characteristics

An important advantage of pipelines reinforced with fiberglass can be considered the minimum linear expansion, which contributes to greater strength.

In addition to fiberglass, aluminum is also used to reinforce the structure. Reinforcement with aluminum creates a multilayer structure in which the aluminum layer is under a thin polypropylene layer. It seems to grow into it, as a result, a reliable connection is obtained.

This method of strengthening pipes allows you to get excellent performance. But there are also disadvantages. The installation of pipes with aluminum is complicated due to the need to clean individual areas of the reinforcing layer. This procedure requires a serious approach and certain knowledge.

A fiberglass reinforced structure does not need to be cleaned before welding. This is its main advantage.

The glass fiber layer is used as an oxygen barrier. Therefore, such pipes can be safely used in various heating systems.

Aluminum or fiberglass?

Products with fiberglass have the following features compared to pipes reinforced with aluminum:

• the expansion coefficient is less by 75% in contrast to analogues with aluminum;
• it is possible to increase the distance between the supports, which saves on installation work;
• service life is significantly increased;
• the thermal conductivity of such pipes is lower than that of products reinforced with aluminum;
• increased value of the conductivity of the coolant.

If you plan to install the heating system on your own, then it is better to choose a material using fiberglass.

Pipe selection criteria

When choosing the right option for heating, you should pay attention to the following parameters:

1. diameter value.
2. Maximum temperature.
3. maximum operating pressure.
4. chemical resistance.
5. features of linear expansion.

The lower the load on the pipes, the longer their service life. Before you make a choice, you need to decide on the type of water supply and the functional load. It is also important to familiarize yourself with the main stages of installing a heating system.

Mounting Features

Polypropylene structures are mounted with a special welding machine. During work, a certain sequence must be observed. There is no metal in the composition of the products, so the necessary sections just need to be measured and cut off with wire cutters. Then a chamfer is made for a tight and tight connection, for this a special machine is used.

Pipe welding must be carried out with an inverter designed for this purpose; each brand of polypropylene products has its own temperature for cooking. After the seam has cooled, the communications are ready for operation.

Modern technologies for installing autonomous heating in apartments and private houses tell us that the best plastic pipes for these purposes are reinforced polypropylene pipes.

Their technical characteristics meet all expectations, and the quality guaranteed by the manufacturers ensures more comfortable operation of the heating system pipeline than pipes made of polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride.

In order to effectively and efficiently install a heating system from polypropylene pipes yourself, it does not hurt to study the types of reinforcement of such pipes, their technical characteristics and other features.

Reinforcement of plastic pipes arose relatively recently. It provides polypropylene pipes with higher indicators of reliability, strength and resistance to various temperatures and the effects of aggressive substances.

Pipes made of a material such as polypropylene are different. There are pipes that are called single-layer and consist of polypropylene alone, and there are three-layer or even five-layer pipes.

It is the last version of polypropylene pipes that is used for heating systems.

3-layer pipes are those pipes that contain an inner layer of aluminum or fiberglass, and 5-layer pipes are those pipes that, in addition to the middle layer, also have two layers of hot-melt adhesive.

Photo: three-layer and five-layer reinforced pipes

Both those and others show themselves well with resistance to high temperatures and water pressure.

fiberglass reinforced

Polypropylene pipes, which are reinforced with fiberglass, have their own marking.

It is designated PPR-FB-PPR. Even looking at these designations, one can already understand that we have a building material made according to the principle of a sandwich, in which there are always two identical layers (upper and lower) and the middle one as a filling.

Such pipes appeared relatively recently and among the people acquired a simple name - a fiberglass pipe.

Fiberglass comes in various colors and does not play a special role for technical and operational characteristics.

There are pipes reinforced with red, blue or green fiberglass, and therefore, when choosing them, you should not focus on this.

Photo: fiberglass reinforced polypropylene pipes

The advantage of such a pipe, in comparison with aluminum reinforcement, is that it does not need to be cleaned and calibrated when a process such as is in progress.

A fiberglass pipe made of polypropylene can be safely soldered just like a regular plastic homogeneous pipe, or any stripped polymer pipe.

This saves a lot of time and money during the installation of the heating system. Such pipes do not delaminate, as they have an integral structure. After all, the middle layer is also polypropylene, but only with fiberglass fused into it.

Important! There is also a slight disadvantage of such pipes: their linear expansion is 6% more than aluminum reinforced pipes.

After all, the pipes in the heating system are constantly exposed to hot water, which means that their walls will be influenced by the linear expansion of the material from which they are made.

Unreinforced ordinary polypropylene expands 5-10 times, and therefore such pipes are not used in heating systems where there is a hot water supply.

Photo: ordinary polypropylene pipe

Such pipes just have this slight difference, in comparison with pipes with aluminum fittings.

But, despite this, in the past few years, such pipes have been used more often than those “stuffed” with aluminum foil.

After all, 6% is not 50 or 70%. In addition, in installation and operation, these pipes behave the same as with aluminum, and even better, so there is every reason to believe that plastic fiberglass pipes will soon replace pipes with aluminum fittings.

Video: welding

Reinforced with aluminum

Familiar to most plumbers, polypropylene pipes with aluminum reinforcement are today considered almost a traditional material for installing a heating system.

Their designations look like this: PPR-AL-PPR. As a rule, such pipes are divided into several types in their group:

• the top layer of reinforcement in the form of a solid aluminum sheet (foil) - such pipes have an outer aluminum coating and are cleaned by 1-2 mm during installation for connection;
• the middle layer of reinforcement as a perforated aluminum sheet - in such cases, the reinforcing aluminum sheet has holes evenly distributed over its entire surface, it is also cleaned 1 mm during installation during connection with other ends of the pipes;

Such pipes are very often made five-layer using heat-resistant glue.

Photo: diagram of a polypropylene pipe reinforced with aluminum

• inner layer of reinforcement with aluminum sheet (foil) - the aluminum layer can be placed either in the middle between the polypropylene material, or closer to the inner wall of the pipes.

A shaver is used to strip the aluminum layer on pipe sections. This procedure must be done before soldering and connecting polypropylene pipes.

Aluminum is not solderable, and therefore it must be cleaned. In operation, such pipes behave excellently. Their linear expansion allows the pipes to maintain the integrity of their surface for many decades.

And with proper care, this kind of pipe can last 50 years or more. As is the case with pipes having a fiberglass core reinforced with aluminum, polypropylene pipes can be found in different colors: green, gray, white.

And just the same - it does not matter and does not affect the features in their operation.

Photo: pipes marked PPR-AL-PEX

There are also pipes marked PPR-AL-PEX. This suggests that the structure of the layers of such pipes is somewhat different from the previous ones.

The first outer layer is a polypropylene material, as indicated by the designation “PPR”, which is in front of the entire abbreviation. Then comes the aluminum layer, and only then "PEX" - cross-linked polyethylene.

Such pipes are also provided with tenacious adhesion to the aluminum layer, and therefore there is not much difference in their operation compared to PPR-AL-PPR pipes.

They can just as freely be used for the equipment of any heating systems.

Video: installation

Specifications and production

Compared to conventional non-reinforced polypropylene, fiberglass or aluminum reinforced pipes have their own advantages:

• it should be said about their smallest expansion coefficient, which is very important for the pipeline of the heating system;
• you need to know how these pipes behave under a certain pressure;
• nevertheless, it is necessary to study the features and parameters of the polypropylene material itself and its additives as reinforcement in order to have a good idea of ​​​​how it can show itself during the periods of its operation;
• what are the service life and advantages of such pipelines for heating systems.

Temperature and pressure

Ordinary plastic pipes have an expansion coefficient of approximately 10 cm per 1 m of pipe. And this is when it is heated from hot water by 70 ˚С.

And polypropylene reinforced pipes, under the influence of hot water, show an expansion coefficient of 1 cm per 1 m of pipe. Moreover, they can behave this way even at higher temperatures than 70 ˚С.

Such a difference cannot but attract attention, and put reinforced polypropylene pipes in the category of the most resistant and durable plumbing materials.

Important! The durability of polypropylene pipes can also be affected by the pressure of water flows passing inside the pipes.

Here you should compare plastic pipes designed for other tasks and pay attention to such indicators and markings of polypropylene pipes for heating and water supply:

Designation, marking	Functional purpose	Supply water temperature, ˚С	Nominal pressure of supplied water, MPa	Notes
PN 10	For cold water supply	Up to + 20˚С	1 (10.197 kgf/cm2)	Accessories and connecting elements for polypropylene pipes, both reinforced and not, can have brass, copper or nickel-plated pressed-in inserts, which allow you to connect pipes to each other from different materials and different pressure levels
	For warm floors	Up to + 45˚С
PN 16	For cold and hot water supply	Up to + 60˚С	1.6 (16.32 kgf/cm2)
PN 20	For hot water supply	Up to + 95˚С	2 (20.394 kgf/cm2)
PN 25 (reinforced)	For hot water and central heating	Up to + 95˚С	2.5 (25.49 kgf/cm2)

The material from which plastic pipes for heating systems are made

One of the latest technologies in the field of building materials is the discovery of polymer compounds, which immediately proved to be the most resistant materials to high temperatures, mechanical and chemical effects on them.

For the production of polypropylene pipes, polypropylene is used under the name "Random copolymer" - type 3.

This thermoplastic has a number of interesting properties:

• versatility of temperature endurance - stable at temperatures from - 10˚С to + 90˚С. Moreover, for a short time, the polymeric material as polypropylene can withstand temperatures up to + 100˚C. If, for example, the water in the pipes is frozen, then it will not destroy them because such a material is elastic enough and will last for a long time;
• mechanical strength - this also includes thermal strength, achieved by combining polypropylene material with ethylene molecules. It is thanks to this substance that pipes made of polypropylene can be elastic and resistant to mechanical stress, and for quite a long time;
• environmental safety - such a valuable type of compound as "Random copolymer" (PPRC) is quite safe for the environment and human health. During its disposal, no harmful substances or fumes are formed. Of particular value and high quality are products made from such material by a world-famous manufacturer BOREALIS RA 130E (Finland);
• high appreciation of the FD brand - such a brand, which you will see on certain polypropylene pipes, fittings, adapters, couplings and other connecting elements, indicates that only high-quality material from BOREALIS RA 130E (Finland) was used in their production.

Its physical and mechanical properties are very well and clearly presented in the table:

Name	Measurement technique	Value
Density	GOST 15139	0.9 g/cm3
Melting temperature	GOST 21553	149 s
Tensile yield strength	GOST 11262	24-25 N/mm2
Tensile Strength	GOST 11262	34-35 N/mm2
Relative elongation at the moment of reaching the yield point	GOST 11262	50%
Linear expansion coefficient	GOST 15173	0.15 mm/m C
Thermal conductivity 20 C	GOST 52612	0.24 W/ms
Specific heat capacity at 20 C	GOST 23630	2 kJ/kg C

The use of modified Borealis RA - E 130 granulate means that such polymer compounds will last 25-30% longer than unmodified polymer compounds.

The whole process of production of polypropylene reinforced pipes by any manufacturer is a dual co-extrusion technology.

Co-extrusion is the extrusion of the inner and outer layers of a pipe simultaneously from an extruder - an apparatus that, in principle, is similar to a meat grinder.

Photo: extruder

The outer layer sticks to the reinforced surface of the carcass (with or without thermal adhesive), and the inner layer envelops the inside of the reinforcing carcass.

Further, under the influence of air, these layers begin to harden quickly, firmly adhering to the rigid reinforcing frame. Next, the pipes are cut into the required equal lengths, and then laid in bays, where they are marked, packaged, and therefore taken to the warehouse.

Important! Almost all manufacturers of polypropylene pipes, both reinforced and non-reinforced, use manufacturing technology that meets the requirements of GOST R-52134, which was adopted by the Russian Federation back in 2003 and is still in effect.

Photo: five-layer polypropylene pipes reinforced with aluminum

By and large, GOST prescribes only methods for calculating the optimal pressure and resistance of polypropylene material and the entire pipe structure to low and high temperatures.

That is why many manufacturers allow themselves to save on the production of such pipes.

But more conscientious companies clearly limit the functional tasks for their finished products:

• the obligatory presence of a diffuse barrier, which should prevent the ingress of oxygen into the finished heating system;
• a significant and significant reduction in the linear expansion of pipes, making them more resistant to high temperatures and durable;
• increase in nominal pressure from PN20 to PN25, which will allow pipes to withstand pressure from hot water pressure for a longer time;
• reliability of fasteners and connecting elements, threaded fittings and other materials;
• using high quality 3rd or 4th generation PP-RCT material.

This is what you can focus on when choosing and buying polypropylene pipes for the heating system of one or another manufacturer.

Be sure to also ask what quality raw materials were used in the production of certain pipes.

We have already mentioned the high-class FD brand of a Finnish manufacturer, but there are also a number of famous manufacturers who are trusted by world markets, including Russian ones:

• Ekoplastik, Czech Republic;
• FV-Plast, Czech Republic;
• Wavin Ekoplastik, Czech Republic;
• Ikaplast, Russia, St. Petersburg;
• YarInterPlast, Russia, Yaroslavl;
• Banninger, Germany;
• Tebo, Turkey;
• Valtec, Italy;
• Firat, Turkey;
• SamTechnik, Russia, Novosibirsk.

Important! Whatever the manufacturers of reinforced polypropylene pipes, you should always inquire about the quality of the material from which they are made and their technical characteristics, which are assigned by the manufacturers themselves, and not by the sellers.

This moment can be tracked by asking the seller for a quality certificate from a particular manufacturer of polypropylene pipes, where their exact characteristics and features should be indicated.

Price

Although the prices vary among themselves, depending on the diameter, wall thickness of the pipes and the manufacturer's company, almost all of them are still in the same price category.

The technical, physical and functional parameters of polypropylene pipes directly affect the price level, so we will consider several of these options:

Manufacturer's name	Pipe type	Options	price, rub. for 1 r.m.
Turkey		D=20 mm, wall thickness – 3.4 mm, white, 100 pcs. Withstands a pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 90˚С for a long time.	57, 19
Ekoplastk, Czech Republic (representative in Rostov-on-Don)	Polypropylene reinforced with aluminium, PN25	D=40 mm, gray or white. Withstands a pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 95˚С for a long time.	44,46
Lazar-Snab, Russia, Perm		D=20 mm, white. Withstands a pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 95˚С for a long time.	33,28
WAVIN Ekoplastk, Czech Republic	PRO AQVA Polypropylene reinforced with aluminium, PN25	D=75 mm, gray or white. Withstands a pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 95˚С for a long time.	43,00
Tebo, Turkey	Polypropylene reinforced with aluminium, PN25	D=25 mm, white. Each 4 m long. Withstands a pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 90˚С for a long time.	64,63
Firat, Turkey (representative in St. Petersburg)		D=35 mm, white. Withstands a pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 90˚С for a long time.	44,12
Water polymer, Russia, Kirov	Polypropylene reinforced with glass fiber, PN25	D=20 mm, white. Withstands a long time pressure of 1 MPa at a temperature of 90˚С	22,70
Banninger, Germany (representative in Novosibirsk)	Polypropylene reinforced with glass fiber, PN20	D=20 mm, wall thickness – 2.8 mm, green. Withstands a pressure of 2 MPa at a temperature of 95˚С for a long time.	70,00
	Polypropylene reinforced with glass fiber, PN20		358,80
Banninger, Germany (representative in Moscow and St. Petersburg)	Polypropylene reinforced with aluminium, PN20	D=50 mm, wall thickness – 5.6 mm, green. Withstands a pressure of 2 MPa at a temperature of 95˚С for a long time.	465,32

Water supply, heating in a house or apartment (autonomous or centralized) is not complete without the use of pipes. Many people remember how unattractive metal pipes look, they need to be constantly painted, maintained, and anyway, at any moment they can let the homeowner down, because over time they react to temperature and pressure changes worse and worse.

The metal quickly becomes covered with scale from the inside, which significantly slows down the movement of hot water and, as a result, reduces heat transfer. Probably, all the disadvantages of metal pipes prompted scientists, engineers and technologists to develop and implement new models of pipes made from modern materials using advanced technologies.

Manufacturers of reinforced polypropylene pipes

It is no secret that when buying pipes, the choice of a well-established manufacturer in the Russian and international markets is of no small importance. Today we will introduce some popular brands specializing in such products.

FV Plast (Czech Republic)

The company specializes in polypropylene for heating, hot and cold water supply, heating. The company's products are available only in gray with an aluminum and fiberglass layer.

Metak (Russia)

The company manufactures various products from polypropylene, including pipes reinforced with fiberglass under the Metak Fiber brand. The company's products are ideal for heavily loaded heating systems.

Banninger (Germany)

The German company produces excellent products that are of the highest quality and reliability in operation. The buyer will easily find it in the shop windows by emerald green color.

In conclusion, I would like to recommend our readers not to buy reinforced polypropylene from unknown companies that do not even indicate their brand name on the label. By saving a small amount when buying, you can lose much more money (nerves, time) when low-quality products let you down. And it usually happens at the most inopportune moment.

Polypropylene in the construction industry is used for various tasks. However, the most useful and popular area of ​​​​its application is the creation of pipes for heating and water supply systems.

It is from polypropylene that plastic modern pipelines are assembled. Polypropylene pipes reinforced with fiberglass are especially popular, as the reviews and their characteristics are truly unique.

Purpose and application

Technical polypropylene samples are used for the assembly of predominantly civil pipelines. By itself, polypropylene has excellent properties, as well as good reviews. It does not react to corrosion, has a high operating pressure and is very durable.

In terms of strength, this material is head and shoulders above all other building polymers. However, strength is also achieved due to the rather impressive thickness of the pipe walls. For polypropylene samples, their thickness can reach up to 6-7 mm.

The only problem with such products is that polypropylene is able to expand from thermal loads. In this case, the pipe not only increases in size, but also loses a substantial percentage of its rigidity.

It was to eliminate such problems that polypropylene products were invented inside with fiberglass. Their peculiarity is that inside the pipe there is a reinforcing layer of fiberglass. This is a kind of rigid frame for the pipe, which will keep the polymer in its normal state.

They also manufacture products with aluminum reinforcement. They are also good and suitable for various jobs that are associated with the installation of pipelines. However, aluminum is not as reliable in terms of limiting thermal expansion. But welding pipes made of polypropylene reinforced with fiberglass is much more reliable in this regard.

It is worth noting that the developers have a special marking for polypropylene pipes reinforced with fiberglass. Labeling was invented in order to simplify the task for buyers. Products made from ordinary polypropylene are labeled with an indicator of PP.

The PPR indicator is already the marking of a reinforced pipe. And PPRS is a model made of polypropylene, which is reinforced with the latest development in this area. In their manufacture, a special copolymer is used, which qualitatively improves all the properties of the product.

Characteristics and properties

Characteristics of a polypropylene pipe reinforced with fiberglass are its main advantage. Which, by the way, is quite natural.

PP pipe reinforced with fiberglass is able to withstand severe loads. First of all, welding takes into account the increase in rigidity and ductility of the product. Fiberglass here works as a stabilizing frame.

The operating temperature limit is also significantly increased. PPR tube reinforced with fiberglass is operated without problems at temperatures from -50 to + 350 degrees. Moreover, in the specified range, the size and welding of the pipe will change only slightly. The average thermal expansion is only 1 centimeter per meter.

With an increase in working marks, the pipe will lose in rigidity, but only slightly. And the most important thing is that the inner reinforced layer of fiberglass threads will not allow it to burst even if critical indicators are exceeded.

The technical characteristics of glass fiber reinforced pipes also allow them to be used in outdoor pipelines.

When working with conventional materials, it is not recommended to use standard plastic products outside the building, since after several cycles of freezing and thawing there is a high chance of damage to them. But a plastic pipe reinforced with fiberglass does not set such restrictions.

Another big plus is that PPR pipe reinforced with fiberglass is much easier to install, welding is better than its aluminum counterparts. When trimming models with aluminum reinforcement, they need to be additionally cleaned, calibrated and the remains of the metal sheet removed.

Fiberglass is introduced into the product by extruding it. As a result, welding provides a completely monolithic material, which lends itself perfectly to various manipulations and is easy to work with.

Advantages and disadvantages

Based on the properties described above, we can highlight the main pros and cons of polypropylene pipes with fiberglass reinforcement.

Main advantages:

• Durability;
• Corrosion resistance;
• Minimum temperature expansion;
• Increased structural rigidity and overall strength;
• Simplified installation process;
• Versatility;
• Wide operating temperature range;
• The price of a fiberglass-reinforced pipe, although higher than other polymer products, is still quite acceptable and justified.

As for the minuses, these products also have them and are rather related to the diseases of most polymeric materials of this type.

Main cons:

• With direct and prolonged contact with sunlight, the polymer begins to break down;
• The linear expansion of products of this type is higher than that of metal ones.

Types and differences

There are several main types of such products. Each type has its own marking so that welding meets its working pressure. The higher this indicator, the stronger the welding, the more reliable and more expensive the product.

• Products marked PN-10 withstand a pressure of 10 bar and are used for equipment of predominantly cold water supply systems. The price of a PPR pipe reinforced with fiberglass PN-10 is 0.7-1 dollar per 1 meter;
• Pipelines PN-16 withstand a pressure of 16 bar and are used for equipment of heating and water supply systems. The price of PP pipe reinforced with fiberglass of this type is at the level of 1-2 dollars per 1 running meter;
• Products marked PN-20 are considered the most popular and in demand. It is used to create contours in underfloor heating systems, stationary heating systems, etc. These pipes are sold for 3-4 dollars per meter;
• Polypropylene pipe PN 25 reinforced with fiberglass withstands pressure from 25 bar, is used as the main element for the assembly of central heating systems. The price of a PN25 pipe reinforced with fiberglass is 4-6 dollars per 1 meter;
• PPRS pipe reinforced with fiberglass is not inherently a separate type, but it would be a mistake not to indicate it here. As mentioned above, a high quality polymer is used in its creation, which significantly improves its performance. These products are very durable, resistant, and also elastic. Can dampen noise and vibration. You can buy them for 4-8 dollars.

It should be understood that the price of polypropylene products reinforced with fiberglass is largely determined by their thickness. A piece with a diameter of 16 mm will cost 2-2.5 times cheaper than a similar one with a diameter of 40 mm.

Welding of reinforced (PP) polypropylene pipes (video)

It is very easy to find polypropylene pipelines in the store. They differ from other plastic products in matte color with wall thickness. Reinforced samples are also distinguished by the fact that in the center of the wall in the section you can see a line of a certain color. This is a layer of reinforcement.

The color of this layer and the polypropylene itself can tell you little. Each developer uses his own technologies and in this regard, the standards are almost not unified. However, be careful and remember that before you buy fiberglass reinforced polypropylene pipes, you need to make sure that they are reliable.

The fact is that many manufacturers are trying to save their resources, so they produce products from recycled materials. It is quite obvious that they will be inferior in quality to the original products. It is better to refuse the purchase of such products.

Make sure in advance that the seller has all certificates with sales permits. The presence of documents almost always guarantees that you are buying really branded products that will serve you for decades.

Increasing the pressure is not critical, but reduces the possible duration of their operation. In this case, the manufacturer can no longer guarantee their normal operation.

Pay attention to the diameter of the product, as well as the thickness of their walls. For example, products made of polypropylene reinforced with fiberglass 40 mm in diameter are rather intended for laying the main branches of water supply or heating.

However, it will not be profitable to buy it for the equipment of the entire system. For such purposes, samples with a diameter of 15-25 mm are better suited.

Remember that polypropylene products have a serious thickness. Therefore, a pipe with an outer diameter of 20 mm can have half the nominal bore, which will necessarily affect its throughput.

Pipe products reinforced with fiberglass today successfully replace the usual metal structures and are used to transport hot coolant in plumbing and heating systems. Reinforcement gives pipes the necessary resistance to high pressure and temperature.

Modern materials for the manufacture of pipes - polypropylene today are widely used for various pipeline systems.

They are affordable, easy to install, hygienic. But they have one significant disadvantage: under the constant influence of high temperatures and high pressure, especially if they act simultaneously, they quickly deform and wear out.

Such pipes are extremely susceptible to linear expansion, i.e. elongation and sagging with temperature changes, so it is not always advisable to use them in heating systems.

In order to increase the service life of pipes and their wear resistance and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion, the reinforcement method is used, i.e. strengthening the walls with more heat-resistant materials that create a strong frame inside the pipe and prevent it from elongating.

Types of reinforcement PPR pipes

To strengthen polypropylene pipes by reinforcement, the following materials are used:

• fiberglass is located inside the pipe;
• aluminum can reinforce the pipe walls from the inside or outside, and can be soldered between polypropylene layers.

Both types of reinforced pipes are suitable for installing a heating system in an individual residential building, as well as for connecting to a centralized system. But builders usually prefer fiberglass reinforced pipes because they are easier to install.

Note! Strengthening with the help of a composite, i.e. a mixture of fiberglass and polypropylene, gives even greater strength to reinforced pipes. This creates a strong structure at the molecular level.

The structure of a fiberglass reinforced pipe

Fiberglass is a material that began to be used for reinforcement later than aluminum foil.