What is HDPE Pipe?

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Anup Kumar Dey

HDPE pipe is a flexible plast ic pipe made of t hermoplast ic high-densit y polyet hylene
widely used for low-t emperat ure fluid and gas t ransfer. In recent t imes, HDPE pipes got
t heir ext ensive uses for carrying pot able wat er, hazardous wast es, various gases, slurry,
firewat er, st ormwat er, et c. The st rong molecular bond of HDPE pipe mat erials helps it t o
use for high-pressure pipelines. Polyet hylene pipes have a long and dist inguished service
hist ory for gas, oil, mining, wat er, and ot her indust ries. Due t o it s low weight and high
corrosion resist ance, t he HDPE pipe indust ry is growing t remendously. In t he year 1953,
Karl Ziegler and Erhard Holzkamp discovered high-densit y polyet hene (HDPE). HDPE pipes
can work sat isfact orily in a wide t emperat ure range of -2200 F t o +1800 F. However, t he
use of HDPE Pipes is not suggest ed when t he fluid t emperat ure exceeds 1220 F (500 C).

HDPE pipes are made by t he polymerizat ion of et hylene, a by-product of oil. Various
addit ives (st abilizers, fillers, plast icizers, soft eners, lubricant s, colorant s, flame ret ardant s,
blowing agent s, crosslinking agent s, ult raviolet degradable addit ives, et c.) are added t o
produce t he final HDPE pipe and component s. HDPE pipe lengt hs are made by heat ing
t he HDPE resin. It is t hen ext ruded t hrough a die, which det ermines t he diamet er of t he
pipeline. The Pipe wall t hickness is det ermined by a combinat ion of t he die size, speed of
t he screw, and t he speed of t he haul-off t ract or. Usually, 3-5% carbon black is added t o
HDPE t o make it UV resist ant , which t urns HDPE pipes int o black in color. Ot her color
variant s are available but usually not used frequent ly. Coloured or st riped HDPE pipe is
usually 90-95% black mat erial, where a colored st ripe is provided on 5% of t he out side
surface.

Properties of HDPE Pipes

The physical and mechanical propert ies of a t ypical HDPE Pipe is list ed below:

Governing Codes: ISO 1183, ISO 4427, AS/ NZS 4130, BS EN 12201, EN 12056,
AWWA C901, AWWA C906, et c
Available size range: DN 16 t o 1600 (However, ot her cust omized sizes can be
manufact ured)
The densit y of HDPE Pipe: 930-970 kg/m3
Typical Mechanical Propert ies of HDPE Pipe are given in Table-1 below. However,
t hese values vary from one manufact urer t o anot her. So, must be consult ed wit h
t he manufact urer.
 Mechanical Propert ies HDPE Propert ies

Yield St rengt h 18-26 Mpa

Elongat ion 10%

Elast ic Modulus 900 Mpa

Hardness 61 Rockwell (Shore)

Poisson’s Rat io 0.45

Linear Coefficient of t hermal expansion 0.17 mm/m- 0C

Brit t leness t emperat ure <-700C

Table 1: Mechanical Propert ies of HDPE Pipe

Types of HDPE Pipes

Depending on maximum pressure wit hst anding capabilit y, HDPE Pipes are classified int o
several pressure grades known as PN grades. They are

PN 2.5 – max pressure 2.5 bar

PN 4 – max pressure 4 bar
PN 6 – max pressure 6 bar
PN 10 – max pressure 10 bar
PN 16 – max pressure 16 bar
PN 20 – max pressure 20 bar
PN 25 – max pressure 25 bar

Again, based on t he t ypes of mat erials used HDPE pipes are grouped int o t he following
t ypes:

PE 63 – medium pressure piping syst ems

PE 80 – gas pipe for nat ural gas dist ribut ion net work wit h pressure rat e up t o 4 bars
or drinking wat er pipe wit h pressure rat e up t o 16 bar – sewers, out fall pipes,
indust rial pipes
PE 100 – high demands piping applicat ions

The numbers following PE indicat e t he minimum required st rengt h in Bar at 200 C for 50
years life span corresponding t o ISO-4427. The rat ed working pressure of HDPE pipes is
det ermined at 200 C. For higher t emperat ures, a derat ing fact or (Table 2 Below) is used t o
det ermine t he maximum pressure t o which t he HDPE Pipe can be subject ed.
 Fluid Temperat ure (0C) Temperat ure Derat ing factor

0-20 1

>20-25 0.9

>25-30 0.8

>30-35 0.7

>35-40 0.6

>40-45 0.5

>45-50 0.4

Table 2: Temperat ure Derat ing Factor for HDPE Pipes

Length of HDPE Pipes

As HDPE Pipe manufact uring is a cont inuous process, pipes of any lengt h can be
manufact ured. However, due t o t ransport at ion requirement s and ease of handling at t he
sit e, t he HDPE pipe lengt h is limit ed and normally produced in st andard lengt hs of 6, 10,
12, 15, 24, and 30 met ers. HDPE Pipe lengt hs of 50 and 100 met ers can be produced on
request s.

Joining HDPE Pipes

HDPE Pipes and fit t ings are joined t o each ot her by Welding or by mechanical fit t ings.
There are t wo t ypes of welding met hods used t o join HDPE pipes. They are

Elect rofusion Welding: Elect rofusion is a simple and quick met hod t o permanent ly
join individual pipes and HDPE fit t ings or prefabricat ed sect ions in t ight places. This
met hod is suit able for on-sit e joint s.
But t Welding: But t -welding homogenously joins HDPE pipes and fit t ings int o
prefabricat ed sect ions using heat and pressure wit hout using addit ional connect ion
fit t ings.

Various t ypes of mechanical joint s can be used for joining HDPE pipes t o HDPE or
dissimilar pipes. They are

Plug-in joint
Snap joint
Screw-t hread joint
Flanged joint
Cont ract ion sleeve
Sleeve coupling
Met al coupling
 Rubber collar joint

Fig. 1: HDPE Pipe Joining Met hods

Fittings for HDPE Pipes

A complet e range of HDPE Pipe fit t ings is available for any purpose. Typical HDPE pipe
fit t ings include:

Bends
Elbows
Reducers
Branches
End caps
Elect rofusion couplers
Mechanical connect ion fit t ings
Traps
Sanit ary fit t ings
Spare part s

Fig. 2: Typical HDPE Pipe Fit t ings

Design Criteria for Aboveground HDPE Pipe

Fact ors t hat can influence t he behavior and t hus, t he design of above ground HDPE piping
syst ems are

Temperat ure: For pressure syst ems, t he use of HDPE pipes are usually limit ed t o
-400C t o 500 C. For non-pressure services, higher t emperat ures can be used. Consult
wit h t he manufact urer for get t ing informat ion about t heir product . Not e t hat , t he
co-efficient of linear t hermal expansion for HDPE pipes is approximat ely 10 t imes
higher t han t hat of met al pipes. So, t he pot ent ial of t hermal expansion due t o
t emperat ure fluct uat ions is very high and must be considered in t he design. A t ypical
Thumb rule is HDPE pipes will expand or cont ract by 0.2mm per met er per °C
increase or decrease in t emperat ure.

Int ernal Pressure

Chemical exposure
Pot ent ial mechanical impact or loading: Ext ra prot ect ion must be given if t he HDPE
pipe is inst alled in a region of high t raffic or mechanical abuse.
Ult raviolet radiat ion: To safeguard against ult raviolet radiat ion effect s, black HDPE
pipes cont aining a minimum of 2% carbon black are select ed.

Pressure Consideration for HDPE Pipes

A number of variables det ermine t he hydrost at ic pressure capacit y of HDPE pipes. Those
are

St andard Dimension Rat io or SDR which is defined as t he rat io bet ween t he out side
HDPE Pipe diamet er and t he wall t hickness.
The hydrost at ic design st ress of t he HDPE mat erial being used (PE63, PE 80,
PE100) for HDPE Pipe Manufact uring.
The maximum and minimum operat ing t emperat ures.
The durat ion and variabilit y of t he st ress applied by t he int ernal hydrost at ic pressure
during hydrost at ic t est ing.
The chemical resist ance of t he HDPE pipe for t he service chemical (t he st andard
pressure rat ing is based on a pipe carrying wat er).

Usually, HDPE pipe can wit hst and short -t erm hydrost at ic wat er pressures t hat are
considerably higher t han t he pressure rat ing, or class. But t he dut y of t he HDPE pipe
should always be det ermined following t he pipe’s long-t erm st rengt h at 20°C t o ensure a
design life of at least 50 years.

The Barlow’s Formula is also applicable for HDPE piping t hat is relat ed t o t he int ernal
pressure, pipe out er diamet er, wall t hickness, and t he circumferent ial hoop st ress and is
given by

p = 2 x t x σ /d or alternatively t = p x d/(2.σ + p)
Here:

p = int ernal pressure (MPa)

t = minimum wall t hickness (mm)
d = mean out side diamet er (mm)
σ = circumferent ial hoop st ress (MPa)

The design hoop st resses for HDPE pipe mat erials are considered as follows as given ISO
4427:

PE 63: 5 MPa
PE 80: 6.3 MPa
PE100: 8 MPa

Advantages of HDPE Pipes

HDPE pipes provide various advant ages wit h respect t o ot her piping mat erials like

Cost -effect ive. Hence, easily affordable

High flow rat e due t o t he smoot h inner surface
Wide t emperat ure range
Non-leaching
Easy t ransport at ion due t o low-weight
 UV-resist ant
Amazing Durabilit y (More t han 50 years)
Resist ant t o most chemical solvent s
St iff mat erial
Environment friendly
Lower maint enance cost
High Qualit y
Reduced inst allat ion cost
Due t o it s flexible shape, simple t o use on slopes.
Simple joining met hods.
Not affect ed by underground movement s (Seismic Resist ant )
Bad conduct or of elect ricit y.
low-frict ion
Abilit y t o dampen wat er-shock
Sun-resist ant
Non-st ick surface.
Leak-free due t o it s seamless nat ure.
Prefabricat ed HDPE pipe sect ions can be easily inst alled

Disadvantages of HDPE Pipes

The main disadvant age of HDPE pipes are

Poor weat hering resist ance

Highly Flammable
Sensit ive t o st ress cracking
Difficult t o bond
Poor High-Temperat ure capabilit y
High t hermal expansion

HDPE Pipe Frequently Asked Questions

What is the full meaning of HDPE pipe?

The full form of HDPE is High-Densit y Polyet hylene. This hydrocarbon polymer is
produced from pet roleum by a cat alyt ic process. Famous for it s t ensile st rengt h in t he
similar product cat egory, High-Densit y Poly Et hylene is a kind of t hermoplast ic.

Is HDPE the same as PVC?

Bot h HDPE and PVC are considered plast ics. However, t hey are not t he same. HDPE is a
t hermoplast ic made from pet roleum and PVC is a durable vinyl polymer. While comparing
HDPE and PVC, HDPE due t o it s flexibilit y, high st rengt h t o densit y rat io, no corrosion, and
chemical st abilit y is a st rong choice for low pressure and low-t emperat ure applicat ions.

What is HDPE piping used for?

HDPE or High-densit y polyet hylene pipe is widely used t o carry pot able wat er, slurries,
wast ewat er, chemicals, hazardous wast es, and compressed gases. They have been used
in various indust ries like gas, oil, mining, wat er, and ot her indust ries.

How long will HDPE pipe last?

Properly designed HDPE piping syst ems provide a long-last ing performance as compared
t o ot her piping syst ems. As per t he est imat es of t he Plast ic Pipe Inst it ut e, t hey are
supposed t o last 50 t o 100 years.

Is HDPE pipe safe for drinking water?

Yes, HDPE is t ot ally safe for carrying drinking wat er. This is one of t he main reasons t hat
in t he wat er indust ry and desalinat ion plant s, high-densit y polyet hylene pipes are widely
used. The applicat ion of HDPE pipes for pot able wat er applicat ions is cert ified by NSF.
Various disinfect ant s like chlorine and chloramine are approved for use in HDPE pipes.

Which is stronger PVC or HDPE?

PVC is st ronger and st iffer as compared t o HDPE.