How to distinguish between ppr tube and pe tube

When choosing pipes for home decoration and municipal projects, many people will encounter the problem of "what is the difference between PPR pipes and PE pipes" - they are obviously plastic pipes, and the appearance looks similar. Choosing the right one or the wrong one directly affects the use effect. In fact, there is no need to be torn, as long as you grasp the 5 core dimensions, you can quickly distinguish the two.

First look at the material. The full name of PPR pipe is "random copolymer polypropylene pipe", which is made of polypropylene and ethylene monomer copolymerization, and the molecular structure is more stable; PE pipe is "polyethylene pipe", the main raw material is polyethylene resin, common high density PE (HDPE) and medium density PE (MDPE), the material itself is more flexible. To put it simply, PPR is like "harder plastic", and PE is like "softer plastic".

Look at the appearance again. PPR pipes are most commonly white or gray, with a slight matte gloss on the surface, and the pipe wall is relatively thick, which has weight in the hand; PE pipes are mostly black (much used in municipal engineering, UV protection) or white (household), with a smoother surface, thinner wall than PPR pipes of the same specification, and lighter feel. If you compare two pipes of the same diameter, you can see the difference at a glance.

Next is the use. The "main battlefield" of PPR pipes is the home interior: for example, the hot and cold water pipes, radiator connecting pipes, and water heater inlet pipes at home, because they are resistant to high temperatures (95 ° C hot water can be used for a long time), have good pressure resistance, and are suitable for closed indoor environments; PE pipes are more suitable for "outdoor or large scenes": municipal tap water main pipes, gas transmission pipes, farmland irrigation pipes, and community landscape water pipes, because they are resistant to low temperatures (-40 ° C will not crack) and have strong impact resistance. Even if they are buried in the ground, they are not easy to break.

Then there are performance differences. The advantage of PPR pipe is "high temperature resistance", but the weakness is that it is easy to be brittle at low temperature - for example, if left outdoors in winter, it may crack if broken hard; PE pipe is just the opposite, "low temperature resistance and impact resistance" is a strong point, but the high temperature resistance is weak, and long-term use of hot water above 60 ° C will deform. So the home hot water pipe must choose PPR, and the outdoor buried pipe should choose PE.

Finally, it depends on the installation method. Both can be welded by hot melt, but the details are different: the hot melt temperature of the PPR pipe should be adjusted to about 260 ° C. When welding, the pipe and fittings should be inserted to the bottom and pulled out after a few seconds. The hot melt temperature of the PE pipe is lower, about 200 ° C. And the PE pipe can also be connected by electric fusion (such as large-diameter pipes or positions that cannot be hot-melted), and it is welded by the steel wire in the electric heating pipe fittings, which is more suitable for complex scenarios.

In fact, to sum up, the logic of distinguishing between PPR and PE pipes is very simple: "see where to use" - PPR for indoor hot water and PE for outdoor burial; "see demand" - choose PPR for high temperature resistance and PE for low temperature impact resistance. Do not remember complex parameters, grasp these points, you can easily choose the right pipe.