A Guide to Buying and Choosing the Best Geomembrane
Be careful when choosing geomembrane!
Geomembrane production has expanded in Iran in recent years, and many different products have entered the market.
But is there really any difference between them?
Yes!
A huge one.
In this article we look at how good-quality geomembrane differs from counterfeit sheet and how to recognise the signs.
Unfortunately, some newcomers to the geomembrane industry produce counterfeit sheet. Does that really make a difference in practice?
Yes!
These shortcuts drastically reduce the performance of the geomembrane and, beyond causing problems for the industry, create a risk of hazardous chemicals leaking into the environment.
So this isn’t just about business — it affects everyone.
Low-quality raw materials
Unfortunately, in pursuit of higher profit margins, some geomembrane manufacturers use recycled material in the layers of the sheet.
This drastically reduces the sheet’s resistance to environmental conditions.
Low-quality fillers also give the sheet an unpleasant smell and very poor strength properties.
Fake carbon black
Carbon black is an additive used to extend the life of geomembrane sheet against the sun’s UV radiation.
If it is left out or a low-quality grade is used, the service life of the sheet can fall from at least 30 years to less than 5, and it will degrade in sunlight very quickly.
Misstated thickness
During production, whether because the machine isn’t calibrated properly or because the manufacturer is cutting corners, the sheet may be thinner than stated — which makes it weaker.
Spotting a fake by its appearance
- Appearance: counterfeit geomembrane may have an uneven surface, an off colour and bubbles.
- Smell: these sheets have a very unpleasant odour; genuine sheet smells only of polymer.
- Weight: counterfeit geomembrane weighs less than the genuine product. As a rule of thumb, 1 square metre of 1 mm sheet weighs about one kilogram.
- Flexibility: genuine geomembrane is very flexible; counterfeit or off-spec sheet is less flexible.
Besides checking the points above, the best way to buy first-grade geomembrane is to choose the right manufacturer.
Ara Polymer Nikan, with more than 10 years of experience producing first-grade three-layer geomembrane, offers a 10-year warranty as well as a guarantee that only first-grade polymer materials are used.
