Aren’t All Flexible PVC Liners The Same?
Just as many competitive products have a wide range in quality levels, flexible PVC liners are no different. The critical component used in producing flexible vinyls are specialized chemicals called plasticizers. There are countless varieties of plasticizers that can make vinyl flexible but very few offer the attributes needed for the vinyl used in the drop-in liner industry. It is safe to assume that the plasticizers used in producing garden hoses, blood bags, food packaging, car interiors, and children’s toys offer different characteristics then the plasticizers in our liner materials and they need to be selected accordingly.
Witt Lining Systems has taken great care in selecting our Spectra Blue® PVC, Exceline® PVC, and Koroseal® PVC materials with the most suitable and highest performing plasticizers available. Among our considerations in this process were chemical resistance, temperature performance, hydrolysis, permanence, polymer compatibility and regulatory approvals. These factors have led us to choose more advanced plasticizers than the standard phthalates (DOP, DEHP and DINP) that other companies use. These general purpose alternatives are less expensive but they are also less robust and less effective in harsh environments. In addition, DOP is tightly regulated and when used in certain states, needs to be labeled as a potential carcinogen.
While we currently offer the most advanced liner materials in the industry, we also continue to work with our suppliers to follow the latest plasticizer developments. We do this to ensure that we continue to offer the best available products to our valued customers. Our message is that, when buying a liner, be selective because you get exactly what you pay for. Competitive liners may be less expensive, but it is quite possible that the plasticizer system and performance of the materials is inferior and the cheap price comes at the expensive of service life. Take the guess work out of choosing a drop in liner by insisting on the highest performing materials in the industry in a liner from Witt Lining Systems.
Melvin Stein
There are also other common ingredients that can be mixed into the resin/plasticizer compound to reduce costs such as calcium, fine clay, etc. Most detract from the chemical resistance of the resulting extruded sheet. Problems with thorough mixing or moisture in the compound can create tiny bubbles or voids in the extruded sheet. Pinholes can also be found. Some manufacturers will use a lamination process to create their final PVC sheet. Several thin sheets are pressed together to make a heavier gauge, such as 1/8″, in the expectation that any pinhole found in one of the thin sheets will not line up with any found in adjacent sheets, thus preventing a singular pinhole from penetrating all the way through the heavier gauge material. Such “compensatory methods” are often required in order to maintain margins while trying to present a cheaper liner to the market.
Having over 25 years experience with flexible lining materials and their service environments as a distributor and now factory installer for Witt Linings, I am well familiar with the VALUE available with materials that are transparent, such as Spectra Blue and Exceline. Even the customer can look at the material and see there are no voids, pits, or faults in the sheet or factory welds. Witt does not cut corners by using fillers to reduce the amount of resin required to produce a roll of lining material. There is no potential for any of their liners to begin delaminating after being placed in service.
Cheap and value are two different things. Witt’s product line offers value. Their materials and processes are focused on providing a quick, uncomplicated, quality, solution for new and existing structures that need to be lined to last. If you are the engineer or agent responsible for selecting a lining system, Witt’s focus on value will make you look good when the job is done and placed in service!