Thermoplastic Roof Membranes
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Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) polymers were originally produced in Germany during the 1950's. The basic chemical resin is a relatively hard material that requires the addition of plasticizers to make it supple and pliable for use as flexible membrane roofing. PVC sheets are reported to be resistant to bacterial growth, many industrial chemicals and plant root penetration. PVC roof membranes are fire resistant and have good seaming characteristics. PVC is not chemically compatible with bituminous materials.
TPO roof membranes are compounded from a blend of polypropylene and ethylene-propylene rubber polymers. TPO membranes exhibit positive physical properties, such as heat aging, cold temperature flexibility, puncture resistance and tear strength. They are resistant to damage from animal fats, hydrocarbon oils, and vegetable oils. They will not support the growth of microorganisms.
A summary of Thermoplastic Roof membrane characteristics, both chemical and physical, materials allow them to be repeatedly soften when heated and harden when cooled. Typically there is no chemical cross-linking in the membranes compound. Because of the nature of the membrane, Thermoplastic sheets typically are seamed by heat-welding with hot air.