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Pond Liner NaturaGart EPDM |
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Rubber is for many the environmentally friendly sap of rubber trees that gives native fathers work and that feeds and keeps their children happy. In reality there is nothing 'green' about it, since rubber has been made synthetically for decades. Some types even have a relatively high content of heavy metals or contain additives such as fungicides or algaecides for use on roofs. Rubber is as varied as formula 1 wheels and chewing gum.
Butyl rubber is extremely elastic but chemically so instable that it can even be glued with gasoline. This can be a problem for ponds, because in the ground sludge of ponds a lot of carbohydrates are produced.
Therefore we do not recommend it!
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EPDM Rubber
The various types are usually quite different from each other, but usually much more robust chemically. This apparent advantage leads to the same drawbacks PE has: Chemically very stable products are difficult to glue.
The especially stable rubbers are either thermally welded in coated places (which not everyone manages to do properly) or adhesive strips with unvulcanised rubber are used. These are very expensive, however, and take about 10 times as much time to do than, say, a PVC seam.
Some properties can be problematic, such as the tear spreading resistance (see table). |
Orientating Facts about EPDM
As opposed to PVC and PE, EPDM is measured in imperial units.
This makes it awkward to estimate the liner's properties, because measurements are always odd.
Rollstock Cutoffs
by the whole metre
1.14mm thick
Roll widths:
4.57 / 6.10 / 7.62 / 9.15 / 12.2 / 15.25m
1.5 mm thick:
Roll widths:
6.1 / 9.15 / 12.2 / 15.25 m
Find more information about ordering in the NaturaGart-Shop
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| This is a comparison of the most important properties of liners |
| Property |
NaturaGart
Green |
NaturaGart
Black |
Cheap liner* |
NaturaGart
EPDM |
NaturaGart
PE |
* According to competitor's brochure
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Tensile strength
(N/mm²) |
lengthwise |
19.3* |
17.5 |
12 |
8 |
18.5 |
*Ideal values for NaturaGart-PVC und PE |
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transversal
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18.7 |
16.5 |
12 |
8* |
17.5 |
*EPDM doesn't handle point loads very well |
| Tear elongation (%) |
lengthwise |
346 %* |
310 % |
200 % |
310 % |
730 % |
*much more flexibility reserves than cheap liner |
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transversal |
363 % |
315 % |
200 % |
310 % |
730 %* |
*Best values with PE |
| Tear spreading resistance (N/mm) |
110 |
95 |
75 |
11.7* |
139 |
*damaged EPDM tears like paper |
| Repairs |
well |
well |
?* |
adhesive tape
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hot air
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*can often only be glued for a few years |
| Flexibility |
good |
good |
often good
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very good
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stiff* |
*therefore not suitable for smaller ponds |
Resistance to ageing
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good* |
acceptable* |
often problematic* |
very good* |
very good* |
*extremely dependent on installation conditions |
| Resistance to cold |
-45ºC* |
-30ºC |
-20ºC |
very good
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sensitive** |
*very important
**eg. transport |
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