A Usage Comparison of Reinforced PPL Liners

Reinforced Polyethylene liners are used for a wide variety of industries. In fact, our PPL 24 was the world's first heavyweight reinforced polyethylene liner. With hundreds of millions of feet installed all over the world, this versatile material has become an industry favorite for recreational, agricultural, and industrial projects. Whether you need to line a pond, contain waste, or cover reservoirs, RPE liners have become an industry standard. So how do you decide which RPE products are best suited to your applications? It can be difficult to understand how each product differs and whether or not you require certain features and benefits. That’s why we decided to put together a guide comparing RPE liners with one another. Our hope is that you can read through this article and instantly decide which product is the best fit for your needs.

Your Guide to Choosing Reinforced PPL Liners

To start off, it’s important to understand that we are comparing reinforced products to reinforced products. In other words, this is an apples to apples comparison. Though there are many liner options to choose from, for the sake and simplicity of this article we’ll be focusing solely on reinforced liners. Here’s how our products stack up against other common materials on each of the four main comparative barometers.

Tongue Tear Strength

The first aspect we need to mention is tongue tear strength. This metric helps us determine the overall strength and durability of the tested materials. To determine the tongue tear strength of a material, an incision (or tongue) is cut into the center of the fabric being tested. A CRE-type (constant rate of extension) tensile testing machine then clamps onto opposing sides of the material. Moving at a rate of two inches per minute, the two “jaws” pull apart from one another until the fabric begins to tear. The amount of force at which the material tears is known as the “tongue tear strength.” It is measured in pounds applied in both warp and weft directions. When comparing BTL liners to competing liners, our liners started tearing at 50 pounds in both the machine direction and the transverse direction. Competing liners started tearing at 11 pounds for a 30-millimeter PVC in the machine direction and 10 pounds for a 45-millimeter EDPM in the transverse direction. Not so durable.

Grab Tensile Strength

Tensile strength is one of the most important barometers when it comes to the ability of a material to hold up under tension. This is the ultimate predictor of strength and elongation for woven and non-woven materials. The most common method of testing the tensile strength of woven fabrics is a grab test. Similar to the tongue tear test, the grab test uses a set of jaws to clap to the material and then attempt to pull it apart using force. The difference is the material is gripped in the center of the tested sample. BTL’s thinnest reinforced liner achieved 215/62 in the machine direction, and our thickest liner achieved 670/71. Competing products (that were twice as thick as ours) achieved between 193/308-586/186 in the machine direction.

Mullen Burst Strength

Once we’ve tested the durability of a woven product when elongated or stretched, it’s important to also test the durability of a woven product when punctured. Enter the mullen burst strength test. Again, the tested material is held between clamps or jaws, only this time a rubber diaphragm exerts pressure on the material at a steady rate until it bursts. The pressure reading at the time of the material’s combustion is recorded in pounds per inch (or “psi”). BTL reinforced liners received a 300 psi for our thinnest material and a staggering 1250 psi for our thickest. Comparing products don’t even come close. The thinnest materials on the market achieve only a 220 psi and the thickest materials on the market achieve only a 541 psi. That’s less than half of the puncture rate of our most durable products.

Low-Temperature Cold Crack

There are several projects that require their materials to withstand sub-zero temperatures on a regular basis. For these, we test our products using the low-temperature cold crack method. This involves placing our materials in a temperature controlled box, then bending the material at a 180-degree angle after four hours of temperature exposure. The material is then examined for cracks. The lowest temperature at which the material remains flexible without cracking is the “cold crack” measurement. Again, BTL Liners far surpassed competing products in every cold crack test. Our liners can withstand up to -85 degrees Fahrenheit while competing products can only withstand up to -49. Some of the lower quality products couldn’t even withstand temperatures as high as -20 degrees. All of this is to say that BTL Liners offers a superior line of reinforced liners for a wide variety of industries. And we have thoroughly tested all of our products to prove it. For more information about the strength of our products, take a look at our BTL comparison guide. You can see product-by-product, just how durable our liners are. Best of all, we have custom fabrication capabilities so your every need can be met. Contact us for more information.


Liners by BTL

AquaArmor Pond Liner

The most versatile liner on the market today, AquaArmor maximizes protection from harmful UV rays, tear resistance and punctures that cause leaks. Simply the best liner on the market.

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