Is PEX resistant to Slow Crack Growth?
Use of standard thermoplastics pipes requires care in the installation of the pipe to avoid excessive external point loads and notches, which may reduce the lifetime of the pipes. PE-X is absolutely stress-crack-resistant. The lifetime of PE-X pipes is not influenced by point loading or scratches and notches. Pipes made out of PE-X can be used without sand-embedding without risk. This allows the use of ‘as-dug’ backfill for buried pipes reducing the cost of installation significantly. The PE product standards for gas and water set a bench mark ISO 13479 Notched Pipe Test requirement of 500 h for slow crack growth resistance. However PE-X materials easily exceed this requirement by 10 or even 20 fold.
