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Thermal expansion coefficient 0.11 mm/m/˚C
Moisture absorption (ISO 175) <0.2 wt%
Slip resistance in dry (BS 7976-2) Low slip risk - 49
Slip resistance in wet (BS 7976-2) Low slip risk - 41
Tensile modulus (ISO 527-2) 1445 MPa
Tensile strength (ISO 527-2) 15 MPA
Flexural modulus (ISO 178) 1225 MPa
Flexural strength (ISO 178) 30 MPa
Impact resistance un-notched (ISO 179) 14 KJ/m2
DRILLING
All fixing holes should be pre-drilled with an HSS or wood bit prior to screwing.
A low drilling speed is recommended.
SAWING
Recycled plastic can be sawn using a handsaw, circular saw or chop saw
A slow cutting speed with a medium tooth blade is best, for example a 305mm 60 tooth TCT blade.
If a slow cutting speed can not be achieved it will be necessary to reduce the number of teeth on the blade, for example a 305mm 40 tooth TCT blade.
In all cases when working with recycled plastic it is recommended to keep operating speeds low in order to prevent material from melting on the surface of your implement, some WD40 on the blade can help.
RAIL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION
Plastic is subject to thermal linear expansion and contraction, hence it’s importance to make allowances within the design of fencing installation.
Expansion Gap – A gap should be left where the rails butt up.
Allow for maximum expansion with consideration to temperature at the time of installation. The lower the temperature at the time of installation, the larger the maximum expansion will be. The higher the temperature at the time of installation, the smaller the maximum expansion will be.
Our Recycled plastic is a mixed material. Composition: LDPE ( Low Density Polyethylene) HDPE ( High Density Polyethylene) PP ( Polypropylene) ABS (Ancrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Co-polymer) HIP ( High impact Polystyrene) and other thermoplastic materials.
The Polymers are ground, mixed and fused under high temperatues and pressures into pressed modules
The surface is knot free and evenly coloured
Expansion/shrinkage due to temperature fluctuations
As it gets warmer plastic expands and as it gets colder it will shrink. The construction will have to allow the material to expand or shrink; especially in the case of large constructions, such as fencing along dozens of metres. Due to the long length expansion and shrinkage will become too large to be intercepted by the flexibility of the construction. In the case of smaller constructions it depends a little on how much the construction can transform and by doing so can intercept expansion/shrinkage by itself. Nevertheless we advise to always take this material behaviour into account.
Recycled plastic will expand to a maximum of 2 mm per meter plank at 10°C. In the case of outdoor applications we assume that mounting normally takes place at a temperature between 10 and 20°C. We assume that -20°C is the minimum temperature. In summer, when the sun is shining on the planks, temperature can rise to approximately 50°C due to their darker colour. The largest possible temperature difference will then be + or -40°C. Therefore it has to be taken into account that the length of the plank can become up to 8 mm longer or 8 mm shorter per span meter.
Flexion
If you place a load on plastic, it will show a certain deflection. How far this deflection will go can be calculated with the Elasticity modulus. If the load is maintained and the deflection is calculated again later on, you will find an increased deflection in plastics. This phenomenon is called creep. The material creeps away as it were when permanently stressed. Therefore when calculating stress (load) situations a distinction has to be made between the Elasticity modulus, relevant for short term stress, and the creep modulus, showing the relation between stress and deflection in long term stress situations. For example stress caused by own weight will rest on the construction for the rest of its life. This means that deflection caused by this will have to be calculated by means of the creep modulus. Most of the creep will appear during the first few months, after that the process will slow down. After a couple of years there will hardly be increased deflection due to creep. The short term strength can equally not be used for tensile strength or bending strength in long term stress situations. Breakage behaviour of plastics in long term applications however, is rather complex.
Maintenance
One of the benefits of recycled plastic is that it requires no maintenance to preserve it. Over time lichens and possibly algae can grow on the surface of the material, and dirt or dust from the surrounding environment can make it appear dirty. The only thing we advise you to do is to clean it with a high-pressure hose now and then. Plain clean water, without any additions and normally applied pressures. Unless a high-pressure hose fails to clean sufficiently, we don’t recommend cleaning with a steam cleaner, as the material’s surface may become somewhat fibrous. Provided that graffiti hasn’t been on the material too long a high-pressure hose should also be able to remove this to a reasonable extent.
Fire conduct
All plastics will burn when in contact with a flame; they are combustible as are most materials. However, there are significant differences in behaviour once the flame is removed. Some materials keep on burning, while others extinguish.
