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Understanding Mono-Extruded and Co-extruded Vinyl Sheet Pile


vinyl sheet pile for sale

Vinyl sheet pile or also called synthetic and plastic sheet pile is an innovative earth-retention and excavation-support material alongside steel, concrete, and treated wood. Besides its high level of durability and aesthetics, it is proven to be the most sufficient and cost-effective option for hydrotechnical engineering and construction applications especially seawalls & waterfronts, flood control, and bulkheads.

Vinyl sheet pile is made from modified PVC (polyvinyl chloride). It is produced by grinding and melting recycled PVC compounds along with refining ingredients (hardness modifiers and thermal or UV stabilizers), forcing it through a mold where it takes shape, cooled, and then cut to desired lengths. The forming process is called extrusion.


Extrusion of vinyl is done in two ways – mono extrusion and co-layer extrusion. Both mono-

extruded and co-extruded vinyl sheet pilings creates high-quality sheet pile walls. In a glance, they may appear the same but actually have significant difference to both manufacturer and consumer’s end.


vinyl sheet pile manufacturer

vinyl sheet pile supplier


Mono-extruded Vinyl Sheet Pile


Mono-extrusion is a traditional process of forming different shapes and sizes of vinyl sheet profiles from single layer of material. From the word “mono”, it is composed of only one material from the core to its surfaces.


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Advantages:


1. It only requires one extruder so fixed-asset investment is less.

2. Involving only one material and extruding machine requires lesser technical expertise to run production.

3. When scratched, the color remains the same because of its consistent composition from outer layer to the core.


vinyl sheet pile application

Disadvantages:


1. Due to one-material composition, the core of the sheet pile has the same ingredient as in its outside surface. This makes mono-extruded vinyl profiles considered unnecessarily expensive because ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors, typically the most expensive ingredient in the mix, are present in the core where they are actually useless.

2. Color of mono-extruded vinyl sheet piles can vary from batch to batch of production due to variety of raw material sources.


Co-layer or Co-extruded Vinyl Sheet Pile


Co-extrusion is a modern process in producing vinyl sheet piles that works by extruding two compounds at the same time to form a desired profile. It typically involves using a cheaper substrate material to give the sheet its mass and a more superior outer layer called “capstock” to protect the exposed surfaces primarily from UV radiation.