Commonly used membrane materials for membrane structures

Fabric-based membrane materials (coated fabrics)

This is the most mainstream and widely used material in membrane structure engineering. Its structure is typically composed of a base fiber fabric and a surface coating, featuring high strength, good flexibility, and high durability.

Core Structure:

Fabric Substrate (Skeleton): Provides the material with tensile strength and mechanical properties.

Coating: Encapsulates the fibers, protects the substrate, and imparts sealing, self-cleaning, weather resistance, and fire resistance properties.

Top Layer (Optional): The outermost functional coating, such as PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), primarily providing excellent self-cleaning and weather resistance.

Main Types:

PTFE Membrane Material (Polytetrafluoroethylene)

Substrate: Fiberglass.

Features:

High Strength and High Durability: Service life can reach over 25 years, making it the first choice for permanent buildings.

Excellent Self-Cleaning Properties: Naturally inert, does not attract dust, and can be cleaned by rainwater.

Excellent Fire Resistance: Class A non-combustible material.

**Good Chemical Stability:** Corrosion resistant and highly UV resistant.

**Disadvantages:** Expensive; slightly less foldable; requires extra care during transportation and installation; initially milky white, turns whiter with exposure to sunlight.

**Applications:** Landmark permanent buildings such as stadiums, airport terminals, and large transportation hubs.

**PVC Membrane Material (Polyvinyl Chloride)**

**Base Material:** Polyester fiber.

**Features:**

Flexible and easy to process: Foldable, convenient for transportation and installation.

**High Cost-Effectiveness:** Relatively inexpensive, the most widely used membrane material.

**Rich Colors:** Available in various colors.

**Disadvantages:**

**Moderate Durability:** Lifespan is typically 10-15 years.

**Poor Self-Cleaning:** The surface coating easily attracts dust, requiring regular cleaning.

**Environmental Impact:** Contains chlorine; careful waste disposal is required.

Improved Type – PVC+PVDF Surface Layer: A PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) surface layer is applied over the PVC coating, significantly improving UV resistance and self-cleaning properties. This is currently the mainstream configuration for mid-to-high-end PVC membrane materials.

Applications: Sports facilities, commercial plazas, parking lots, landscape features, and other small to medium-sized and temporary structures.

ETFE Film (Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer)

Strictly speaking, ETFE is not a "coated fabric," but a transparent fluoropolymer film.

Features:

Excellent Light Transmittance: Light transmittance can reach 95%, and it can filter most ultraviolet rays.

Lightweight and High-Strength: Weighs only 1% of glass of the same area.

Excellent Durability: Extremely weather-resistant, with a service life exceeding 25 years.

Good Self-Cleaning Properties: Smooth surface, not easily attracting dirt.

Highly Flexible: Often made into air cushion form, possessing excellent thermal insulation and acoustic properties.

Disadvantages: Very expensive, requires extremely high processing and installation skills. Applications: Buildings requiring high light transmittance and lightweight design, such as the "Water Cube," greenhouse botanical gardens, and architectural atriums.