However, weathering resistance of HDPE can be improved by the addition of carbon black or UV absorbing additives. We’ll go more in depth into Suter. Density of HDPE: 0.93 to 0.97 g/cm3 3. A seam style known as “double needle lap-felled” reduces the need to seal or tape the seam when you're using sil/sil fabrics. Name: PE Coated Steel Pipe TYPE : PE Coated Pipe, 2PE Coated Pipe In our opinion, PE coatings are under-appreciated and underutilized. 1. This means the stress is much more concentrated and the fabric is more likely to tear. Now, if you’re wondering what a polymer is – it is a synthetic compound made from petroleum residue. It’s easiest to start with PE’s greatest disadvantage, and work from there. So Please keep sharing. This technique determines how much water pressure must be exerted on a fabric before it begins to pass through. Temperature resistance up to 80°C continuously and 95°C for shorter times. Unfortunately, once hydrolysis has begun, there’s no stopping it. When you try to tear a fabric, slippage allows the yarns to bunch up, rather than remaining fixed in position. It is produced at high pressure (1000-3000 bar; 80-300°C) via free radical polymerization process. We have never seen a sil/sil fabric go bad. This makes it difficult to maintain a taught pitch in humid and wet conditions. To propagate the tear, you’ll have to rip through several yarns at once, rather than one yarn at a time. There is one company that offers stuff sacks with seam-taped sil/sil fabric, but I've seen enough of that seam tape fail to make me think they haven’t perfected it yet. 2. Water takes a long time to penetrate PU, which is why PU works as a waterproof coating. Different coatings have different properties that make them ideal for specific applications. Sometimes you’ll see misleading things like “fly and floor are silicone treated”, “coated in a durable silicone repellent”, or “silicone-treated ripstop nylon”, when companies are actually using sil/PU or sil/PE fabrics, so make sure to get into the nitty-gritty tech specs to make sure you actually know what you’re getting. The odor is a byproduct of a reaction called hydrolysis. Long-term waterproofness is another area in which PU coatings have some drawbacks. This is why it’s possible to make silicone that’s safe for use in cooking tools or internal applications like implants. These fabrics are usually, (multiple layers of material sandwiched together and adhered with heat or adhesive). CLEANsafe 120 CLEANsafe 120 These days, this test is usually done with a device called a Suter Tester, which uses a high-pressure pump to force water through the fabric instead of gravity, and then calculates the equivalent mm rating. In fact, they are used in the food industries every day. Factors like mold growth and hydrolysis (breakdown of the coating) are more prone to affect some coatings more than others. If this bothers you then you should stop reading now and go camping instead. Generally speaking, PE is used in burlier tents in harsher environments. They are particularly familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is dedicated to protecting workers in manufacturing facilities, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which looks to protect the environment so that individuals can enjoy their surroundings without it adversely affectin… How to process PE? This distributes the stress on the fabric over a larger area, thus reducing the force and making the fabric less likely to tear. Slippage is when the individual fibers that make up a fabric, or. (pronounced GRAYGE). have high corrosion reliability. This combination is usually referred to as. The PE coating also provides a simple yet efficient way of sealing the package. The most common types of polyethylene are: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a cost-effective thermoplastic with linear structure and no or low degree of branching. This doesn’t factor in much to most companies’ decisions to coat their fabrics with PU, as it’s assumed that something else on the tent will break or you’ll upgrade before hydrolysis becomes a problem. They are far less prone to hydrolyzing than PU coatings. Silicone is much more inert than polyurethanes, which means it’s less prone to react with other compounds (e.g. Like all living things, they need water to survive, and when they have a moisture-rich environment like a waterlogged PU-coated fabric the mold can destroy the coating, leading to a foul smelling tent with compromised waterproofness. We’ll go more in depth into Suter Testing in future articles. For which requirements is it a material of choice? A good way to visualize this is to picture a tall tube with a piece of fabric stretched across the bottom end. The final issue, and the biggest threat to your tent’s well being, is increased susceptibility to mold and mildew. Sil/sil fabrics absorb little if any water. UHMWPE is suitable for high wear applications such as tubes, liners, silos, containers and other equipments. This means one side of the fabric (usually the inside) is coated with PU and the other side is coated with silicone. It may take a decade or more, but even if you treat your tent with the utmost care, it will eventually hydrolyze. Technically, this isn't a food grade coating for metal, but rather a type of finishing process for food safe steel. Coating Safety NPCA 1 Coating Safety What is a coating? decrease the fabric’s tear strength. The irony that the cause of the stench is “PU” is not lost on us. We use PE-coated fabrics on the 70D and 210D floors of our expedition series tents, because those fabrics start out with an extremely high tear strength, so the burliness of the fabric itself is more than enough to compensate for the reduction in tear strength by the PE coating. But, what is polyethylene? Many online retailers don’t have the ability to restrict sales on a state-by-state basis (most notably Backcountry.com), so as long as the 800-pound gorilla that is California restricts sales of tents made with sil/sil fabrics, the industry will be slow to switch. Instead, WPBs utilize a microporous membrane that blocks water droplets but theoretically allows water vapor to pass through. It is far less common than PU, probably because it’s more expensive and simply because it’s not as well known. It’s hydrophobic and even when left in prolonged contact with water, it doesn’t wet out, even when compared to a PU fabric with a better water column. After the fabric is dyed and finished, the fabric coater will apply one or more layers of coating (sometimes different coatings to each side of the fabric). 10~45 Days International Shipping by Cargo. During extended hard rain, some water can wick in through the thread, but we've only seen this issue with consistent heavy rain that lasts at least several hours. Thanks for putting the time and effort into breaking it all down. The first is price, which is unfortunately always a consideration when selecting materials. The reaction can be delayed as long as possible by storing your tent in a cool, dry, dark place, but sooner or later it will succumb to the stinky inevitability of organic chemistry. Q What makes PLA coated board different from PE coated board. The surface quality of the three-layer polyethylene coating is checked with 25 kV high voltage and covers 100 % of the surface. But you’re not eating (much) food off your tent, so what makes silicone so great for tents? that wet-out is not a concern. 1. Many of you may have noticed a peculiar smell emanating from your old tent. It is one of the most widely produced plastics in the world (tens of millions of tons are produced worldwide each year). Polyurethanes are a broad class of polymers encompassing two of the three common fabric coatings: polyester urethane (PU) and polyether urethane (PE/PeU). Low Density Polyethylene can be processed by injection molding or rotomolding also. Anyone involved in any aspect of manufacturing knows that regulatory agencies are involved. The chemical properties that make silicone such a diversely utilized class of compounds (nonstick, chemically inert, hydrophobic) also make it an excellent material for waterproofing tent fabrics. If long-term durability is a concern for you, or you’re mostly going to be using your tent in hot, humid places, look into a tent with PE coated fabrics. Right Packing=Safe Packing - On Time Delivery. : Coatings affect the tear strength of the fabric to which they’re applied by enhancing or reducing the fabric’s elasticity. I know of only three companies that use them, and two of them (SlingFin and Mountain Hardwear) were founded by the same person. Is PE Toxic? All our sil/sil flies are sewn with double needle lap-felled seams. It’s easiest to start with PE’s greatest disadvantage, and work from there. Uncoated (i.e., breathable) tent canopy fabrics will absorb water and grow mold, but at least your silicone or PE-coated floor and fly might be spared. This is why the unit for waterproofness is millimeters (mm) and also why the waterproofness of a fabric is also referred to as a “water column”. Brilliant article, great explanations. ”. PU’s water absorption causes a few additional problems. The molecules that comprise organic polymers have carbon backbones, whereas silicones are built around a highly stable Si-O bond. It may take a decade or more, but even if you treat your tent with the utmost care, it will eventually hydrolyze. However, this has the disadvantage of adding considerable weight (coatings, especially PU coatings, are surprisingly heavy) and further reducing tear strength. Mold and mildew are some of the top tent killers out there. This is almost always accomplished by using waterproof fabrics. The material is almost totally inert, therefore it is used in the most corrosive or aggressive environments at moderate temperatures. In a traditional double-wall tent, there’s a waterproof outer layer called a, and a breathable inner tent body with waterproof floor and sidewalls. When I first encountered this on my dad’s 1970s North Face VE-24, I tried as many homespun cures as I could, to no avail. The silicone cannot be allowed to penetrate all the way through the fabric. (Chemical formula of Ethene - C. PE belongs to polyolefin family of polymers and is classified by its density and branching. A polypropylene bag is a high clarity, crystal clear bag which enhances the product’s image. Perhaps the biggest obstacle preventing sil/sil fabric from gaining market share is that silicone coatings can’t be combined with fire retardants to meet CPAI-84 standard. Information and knowledge are so important. Here not only the operating temperature, but especially the transportation distance for the pipes, the intermediate storage and installation-conditions and -climate play a major role. We have never seen a case of mold growth on a silicone-coated fabric (again, this doesn’t mean you should put your tent away wet! PE coatings stretch even less than PU coatings, and they all but eliminate slippage in the fabrics to which they’re applied. A protective coating is normally applied to the surface of the PCB to prevent damage from the environment in which it will be used. It is manufactured at low temperature (70-300°C) and pressure (10-80 bar) & derived from either: High Density Polyethylene Molecular Structure. It’s a fairly specialized technique but most premium factories have this capability. It falls somewhere on the spectrum around vomit, smelly gym clothes and old raisins and permeates my early memories of camping with my parents. When I first encountered this on my dad’s 1970s North Face VE-24, I tried as many homespun cures as I could, to no avail. A fabric is generally considered waterproof if its water column is around 1,000mm or more. Single needle seams will need to be sealed after construction with a liquid seam sealer. Occasionally, you may come across tents made with fabrics that are waterproof without the use of a coating. As I mentioned above, silicone is often used as a lubricant. Disclosure: As an… FR chemicals can only be combined with PU and PE coatings, not silicone. Very good resistance to alcohols, dilute acids and alkalis 3. Over time, the PU coating reacts with moisture in the air (this process is accelerated by heat) and splits the polyester urethane molecule. Because PU is much more common than PE, when the outdoor industry says “polyurethane”, they’re talking about polyester urethane, and that’s what this section is about. . We currently use sil/sil fabric for the floor of our WindSaber tent, and the slipperiness of the fabric hasn’t proved to be an issue for us or our customers. In solid form, no. To differentiate pure-silicone coatings from sil/PU coatings, they are most commonly referred to as, fabrics, which indicates that silicone was applied to both sides of the fabric. The quality of the three-layer polyethylene coating satisfies the applicable test method requirements (DIN 30 670 and Czech test methods). Saatavilla myös 15kg, 500kg ja 1000kg lauksesta. Polyurethanes are a broad class of polymers encompassing two of the three common fabric coatings: poly, ). A good way to visualize this is to picture a tall tube with a piece of fabric stretched across the bottom end. Chemically Resistant Epoxies – line of high chemical resistant modified epoxies. PU’s water absorption causes a few additional problems. Second, as we discussed in our fabrics article, nylon will sag when it gets wet, so PU-coated fly fabric has the tendency to sag. Polyethylene is often used in food handling. Polyurethane Coating. Many thanks. The propensity of a coating to undergo hydrolysis, or hydrolyze, is called. Sil/sil fabrics often have significantly higher tear strengths than the same fabric with a PU or PE. hydrolysis). One last note before we get to the good stuff. One of the most important functions of a tent is (obviously) to keep you dry. It has excellent mechanical properties such as high abrasion resistance, impact strength and low coefficient of friction. With PU coatings, you can keep slapping coat after coat on the outside of the last coat, which is how you can get such high HH results. Because of hydrolysis, fabrics with PU coatings essentially have a shelf life. PU offers a solid balance of attributes, which is why it is by far the most popular waterproof coating for tent fabrics. Amidst growing concerns around the health risks of fire retardants, the number of states that restrict tent sales through CPAI-84 has dropped to three. The result is that PE coatings often. This reduces slippage and consequently reduces the tear strength, making PU-coated fabrics slightly weaker than the fabric before coating. Should that occur, it's an easy fix with any silicone-based seam sealer. This makes it difficult to maintain a taught pitch in humid and wet conditions. This makes PU ideal for applications when there will be a lot of pressure exerted on a fabric, like if you’re using a cot in your tent. This is why the unit for waterproofness is millimeters (mm) and also why the waterproofness of a fabric is also referred to as a “. You may have gathered from this that at SlingFin, we prefer to use sil/sil fabrics wherever possible. While it is quite counterintuitive, PU coatings are actually hydrophilic, which means they will slowly, water if they remain in prolonged contact with it. Polyethylene is a lightweight, durable thermoplastic with variable crystalline structure. However, if you’re hoping to be using your tent a decade from now, then it would be a good idea to seek out tents without PU coatings. This increases slippage and therefore the tear strength. While it is quite counterintuitive, PU coatings are actually hydrophilic, which means they will slowly absorb water if they remain in prolonged contact with it. Before we get into the really exciting stuff, a quick note about how the outdoor industry quantifies waterproofness: waterproofness is typically measured via a process called hydrostatic head (HH) testing. PU can achieve high hydrostatic head ratings, it can accept fire retardants to meet CPAI-84 standard, it’s inexpensive, and it doesn’t reduce the fabric’s tear strength as much as PE coatings do. One is that it can’t be seam-taped effectively. So why aren't they ubiquitous? It is uncommon to find PE coatings applied to lightweight fabrics. This problem can be addressed by applying very thick layers of PU, meaning the water will take longer to penetrate the fabric. Unlike polyurethanes (both PU and PE), silicone is an inorganic polymer. DNLF seams aren't as effective with PU or Sil/PU fabrics as the PU wets out and facilitates moisture wicking in through the thread. That’s also a huge no-no. Yes, I know that from a strict organic chemistry perspective “PU” should technically encompass both polyester and polyether urethanes, but this isn’t an organic chemistry class (thank goodness) and I’m going to use the verbiage the outdoor industry has adopted as standard. High impact strength at low temperature, good weatherability. , and aren’t often used in tents. Sometimes you’ll see misleading things like “fly and floor are silicone treated”, “coated in a durable silicone repellent”, or “silicone-treated ripstop nylon”, when companies are actually using sil/PU or sil/PE fabrics, so make sure to get into the nitty-gritty tech specs to make sure you actually know what you’re getting. The height of the water (in millimeters) in the tube just as the water begins to penetrate the fabric is called the hydrostatic head rating. The weight and composition of the fabric as well as the intended application are both important factors in coating choice. A fabric is generally considered waterproof if its water column is around 1,000mm or more. In the case of fabrics with low slippage, adjacent yarns are not recruited to resist the stress, which then gets applied to only one yarn at a time. Even with the 1500mm 30D sil/sil nylon used in the floor of our WindSaber, we have not had any issues with leakage, except when one user set theirs up on top of a small stream. This isn’t to say that non-PU-coated tents should be stored wet. Like all living things, they need water to survive, and when they have a moisture-rich environment like a waterlogged PU-coated fabric the mold can destroy the coating, leading to a foul smelling tent with compromised waterproofness. While WPBs often have a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish, they don’t get their waterproofness from the DWR. This is almost always accomplished by using waterproof fabrics. Poor resistance to hydrocarbons (aliphatic, aromatic, halogenated) 4. In a traditional double-wall tent, there’s a waterproof outer layer called a fly or flysheet and a breathable inner tent body with waterproof floor and sidewalls. Of the three coatings discussed here (PU, PE, and silicone), PU has the worst hydrolytic stability. It falls somewhere on the spectrum around vomit, smelly gym clothes and old raisins and permeates my early memories of camping with my parents. , slide over one another. Different coatings have different properties that make them ideal for specific applications. Sil/sil fabrics often have significantly higher tear strengths than the same fabric with a PU or PE. A seam style known as “double needle lap-felled” reduces the need to seal or tape the seam when you're using sil/sil fabrics. As we expand our use of sil/sil fabrics into the Portal and SplitWing tents this year, we’re confident that SlingFin is on the forefront of an industry-wide shift in the way fabrics are used in the design and construction of tents. 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