Jianlong Share: How to improve the high temperature stability and creep resistance of PE-RT floor heating pipes through cross-linking process?

Common cross-linking methods include chemical cross-linking and physical cross-linking. Chemical cross-linking usually uses the silane cross-linking method. During the production process, the masterbatch containing the silane grafting agent is mixed with the PE-RT resin. After the pipe is extruded and formed, a covalent bond is formed between the molecular chains through a hydrolysis condensation reaction. Physical cross-linking is mainly electron beam cross-linking, which uses high-energy electron beams to irradiate the pipe to stimulate the molecules to produce free radicals, thereby initiating a cross-linking reaction. Both methods can greatly improve the performance of the pipe. Taking electron beam cross-linking as an example, the long-term hydraulic resistance test time of the treated PE-RT floor heating pipe at 80°C and 1.0MPa pressure can be extended to more than 5,000 hours, far exceeding the uncross-linked pipe.

In actual production, every link of the cross-linking process needs to be precisely controlled. From raw material ratio, temperature control to cross-linking degree detection, there are strict standards. For example, during silane cross-linking, the temperature needs to be controlled at 190-210°C to ensure sufficient grafting reaction without destroying the molecular structure; for electron beam cross-linking, the electron beam dose must be precisely adjusted to keep the cross-linking degree in the optimal range of 60%-70%.

PE-RT floor heating pipes treated by the cross-linking process can still maintain good dimensional stability and mechanical properties in high temperature environments, effectively resist creep deformation, and have a service life of up to 50 years. This not only reduces the maintenance cost and replacement frequency of the floor heating system, but also brings users a long-lasting and stable warm experience, making it the preferred pipe material for modern high-quality floor heating projects.