Plastic Pipe Test Standards

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Plastic Pipe Test Standards

Plastic pipe test standards are categorised by the material used to produce the pipe; for example, polyethylene, polypropylene or PVC, and by the function the pipe is going to perform i.e. whether clean water supply or wastewater drainage.

Mains water pipes manufactured from Polyethylene are regulated by the EN 12201. This standard requires that these types of pipes should comply with physical (melt mass-flow rate, oxidation induction time, the effect on water quality) and mechanical (elongation at break, hydrostatic resistance) properties.

For polypropylene pipe systems, two different standards apply according to the end use of the pipe. For water supply, EN ISO 15874 applies and for drainage EN 1451 applies. EN 1451 covers: melt mass-flow rate, longitudinal shrinkage, heat performance and impact resistance.

EN ISO 15874 establishes the geometrical, physical (opacity, longitudinal shrinkage, melt flow index, impact resistance, and thermal stability by hydrostatic pressure testing) and mechanical characteristics (hydrostatic resistance) which polypropylene pipe systems must comply with.

For PVC pipes, these standards apply:

• EN 15877 - plastic piping systems for hot and cold water installations, PVC-C
• EN ISO 1452 - plastic piping systems for water supply and buried drainage and sewerage under pressure, PVC-U

PVC pipes for drainage and wastewater are regulated by these standards:

·         EN 1401 - plastics piping systems for non-pressure underground drainage, PVC-U

·         EN 1329 - plastic piping systems for wastewater discharge within the building structure PVC-U

·         EN 1453 - plastic piping systems with structured-wall pipes for water discharge inside buildings, PVC-U

PVC-U, PP and PE structured-wall pipe systems are regulated by this standard:

·         EN 13476 - plastics piping systems for non-pressure underground drainage and buried sewerage.

Ray-Ran offer testing to the following standards for plastic pipes:

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Equipment outline

·         Melt Flow Rate – We can offer 3 models from the basic to the Advanced.

·         Impact testing – We can offer a Falling Weight impact tester or a Universal Pendulum impact tester with pipe testing fixtures.

·         Tensile, elongation, stiffness and creep testing – We can offer twin column Universal testing machines to match your specific requirements in terms of loads cells and grips/fixtures.

·         Profile cutter – we can offer 2, 3-axis profile cutters to cut any shape profile to a maximum thickness of 100mm

·         Density – we offer density balances and our unique Density Gradient column apparatus for the most accurate density measurement available on the market.

·         Vicat Softening point – We can offer 3 models with 2 stations, 4 stations or 6 stations available.