What you Need to Know: Cold Temps and Containment Liners

Flexible PVC containment liners are the perfect answer for corrosion resistance, but the situation still needs areas of secondary containment. PVC containment liners are faster to install than applying coatings, and typically have a longer service life. More importantly, flexible containment liners are not affected by concrete cracks.

These are the main reasons why flexible containment liners are frequently used in containment areas that are located outside. But what are the effects of the elements on flexible PVC containment liners, especially in cold weather situations?

Like the majority of any solid matter, flexible PVC will display decreased flexibility or amplified rigidity as the temperatures drop.  The colder the temperatures, flexible PVC containment liners fall at a higher risk of cold cracks obtained from physical trauma.

Characteristic test results are around -10°F, meaning that the material should be able to stand strong against these temperatures, just as they would in warmer temperatures. Temperatures below 10°F do not cause any deleterious effects on their own chemical resistance or service life containment liners.

Nevertheless, great care should be used so that the containment liners are not exposed to physical trauma such as dropped tools, equipment, or foot traffic. These types of actions can cause a cold crack or fracture containment liners.

In regard to these low-temperature ratings, it is in reference to the installation purposes. Our recommendations for installation purposes is to heat the containment liners up to a minimum of 70°F prior to removing them from their container. It is also our recommendation that the temperature of the area around them be at this temperature as well.