In the performance comparison of common water supply pipe materials, we can evaluate from several aspects, including economy, corrosion resistance, hygiene, impact resistance, flexibility, service life and constructability. The following is a comparison of the performance of several common water supply pipe materials:

HDPE pipe (high density polyethylene pipe):

Economy: lower comprehensive cost, long life.

Corrosion resistance: not corroded in seawater and acidic and alkaline soil, good chemical corrosion resistance, can withstand a variety of chemical media corrosion.

Hygienic: non-toxic, odourless, harmless, hygiene is recognised as the best.

Impact resistance: good impact resistance.

Flexibility: no rupture during earthquakes and uneven settlement of lots.

Service life: more than 50 years.

Constructability: save mechanical cost, connecting construction is very convenient.

PVC-U pipe (rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe):

Economy: Lower overall cost, long life.

Corrosion resistance: better.

Hygiene: there is a risk of rupture under the impact of hard objects, and the exhaust pipe releases heavy metal fumes to pollute the environment.

Impact resistance: relatively poor.

Flexibility: better.

Service life: 30 years.

Constructability: easy to construct with rubber sealing ring or bonding.

PPR Pipe (Polypropylene Insulated Pipe):

Durability: excellent, can last for the needs of the piping system.

Temperature resistance: excellent, can withstand higher temperatures without deformation or damage.

Insulation: excellent, does not conduct electricity.

Ease of installation: lightweight and easy to install with heat fusion welding.

Chemical stability: good resistance to common chemicals.

Environmentally friendly: no harmful substances, harmless to human health and the environment.

Disadvantages: higher price, brittle, not suitable for high-pressure systems.

Ductile Iron Pipe:

Economy: lower comprehensive cost, long life.

Corrosion resistance: easy to be etched, easy to produce pipe stones, easy to electrify.

Hygiene: there will be rusty water phenomenon.

Impact resistance: better.

Flexibility: bad.

Service life: 30 years.

Constructability: heavy weight, manual work, poor workability.

Galvanised steel pipe:

Economy: low material cost.

Corrosion resistance: easy galvanic corrosion.

Hygienic: Pollution of water due to rusting, etc.

Impact resistance: good.

Flexibility: poor.

Service life: 10 to 20 years.

Constructability: Bolted, heavy weight.

To sum up, different water supply pipe materials have their own advantages and disadvantages in performance. HDPE pipe is widely used in municipal water supply system because of its excellent corrosion resistance, hygiene and long life; PPR pipe with its durability, high temperature resistance and environmental protection in the hot water piping system to occupy a place; and ductile iron pipe and galvanised steel pipe, although the cost is lower, but the corrosion resistance and hygiene is poor, and is gradually being replaced by a new type of pipe. When choosing water supply pipe materials, you need to weigh various factors according to the specific application requirements and project budget to choose the most suitable pipe.