What are the advantages and disadvantages of ETFE membrane structure membrane materials? Why is ETFE membrane structure so popular?

  ETFE membrane structure membrane material is a new type of membrane material, which is usually used in buildings in the form of air pillows. The most typical example in China is the Water Cube. The outer shell of the Water Cube consists of 3065 ETFE air pillows, covering an area of 100,000 square meters, and the membrane material has an area of 260,000 square meters. It is the largest ETFE membrane structure building in the world. 

  Now that more and more buildings use ETFE foil materials, what are the advantages and disadvantages of ETFE membrane structure membrane materials? Why is ETFE membrane structure so popular? Let's take a look at the Wanhao membrane structure.

Advantages of ETFE membrane structure membrane material

1. Light weight and good physical properties

  ETFE film is automatically very light (only 0.15-0.35 kg per square meter), but as mentioned above, it has good physical properties, insulation, wear resistance, scratch resistance, corrosion resistance, tensile strength greater than 40MPa, and elongation at break More than 300% larger.

2. Long life

  ETFE membrane material has excellent anti-aging ability, and the service life can reach more than 25 years.

3. Good light transmission

  ETFE film is usually colorless and transparent, but it can also be made white. Various patterns can be printed on transparent or white film materials as required. Taking the 0.20mm thick ETFE film as an example, the light transmittance of the single-layer transparent film is as high as 95%, and the white ETFE film is 50%~55%. Using white film material or printing different colors and patterns on transparent film material, the light entering the building can be adjusted.

4. Good fire performance

  ETFE is a flame-retardant material (the fire rating reaches B1). Even in an open flame, the ETFE film will shrink when heated, but there is no dripping. Because its weight is very light, even if a fire occurs, it is less dangerous.

5. Good self-cleaning performance

  The surface of the ETFE membrane structure membrane material is very smooth and dust is not easy to adhere. It has a good self-cleaning performance. The surface dust and dirt can be removed by natural washing by rain. The cleaning cycle is greatly increased, generally once every 5 years.

6. Good climate adaptability

  ETFE membrane structure membrane material can maintain stable performance in the temperature range of -200~150℃, the melting point of the material is about 275℃, so ETFE membrane material has excellent climate adaptability. According to research data, it is exposed to harsh weather conditions The mechanical and optical properties of ETFE films over 15 years have not changed.

7. Recyclable

  Waste ETFE film can be heat-melted into pellets and regenerated, which is a green and environmentally friendly material that can be recycled.

  What are the disadvantages of such an excellent ETFE membrane structure membrane material? Let's take a look

1. Toxic gas will be produced in fire

  Although ETFE film has good fire resistance, it will produce toxic gases mainly carbon monoxide and fluorine hydride in a fire. Thanks to its combustion, it does not produce open flame drops, but forms voids, which is beneficial to smoke and dust. The discharge of poisonous gas.

2. Poor sound insulation

  Because ETFE membranes are generally applied to buildings in the form of air pillows, they will make a drum-like sound when encountering heavy rain or hail.

3. The single-piece air pillow has a small span

  The span of the ETFE air pillow cannot be too large. The economic span of a single-piece air pillow is generally 3-5m. If the span is greater than 10m, it needs to be reinforced with multiple layers or steel cables.

4. High operating cost

  ETFE air pillows need to be continuously inflated to maintain air pressure. It relies on a set of automated inflation equipment. The operation and maintenance of the equipment will undoubtedly increase its operating costs.

5. Power outages will affect building functions

 As mentioned above, the ETFE air pillow needs to be continuously inflated to maintain the air pressure. Power failure will cause the air pressure in the air pillow to drop, and the building performance will be affected.

6. High investment costs

  The price of ETFE membrane material is higher than that of PVDF and PTFE. In addition, special inflatable equipment and electronic equipment are required, so the construction investment cost of using ETFE membrane material is quite high.

 The above is a detailed introduction of the advantages and disadvantages of ETFE membrane structure membrane materials and why ETFE membrane structure buildings are so popular. I hope to help everyone. If you have any other questions about the structure of the tensile membrane, you can contact Wanhao. Wanhao, a professional membrane structure company, is sure to give you a satisfactory answer.