Lead Times Tank Liner Thickness: Mil vs. Gauge
Compare vinyl thickness in inches and millimeters.
Finding the right liner for your tank is difficult enough without having to decode the thickness of the vinyl. Mil and gauge are both used in liner descriptions, but they do not always mean the same thing.
Mil and Gauge
One mil is one thousandth of an inch, so the unit is straightforward. Gauge can mean different things across industries, which is why liner comparisons can feel confusing.
Most liner professionals cannot tell you the official difference between vinyl gauge and mil measurements. In industries like wire, shotgun barrels, sheet metal and hypodermic needles, the thickness or diameter increases as the gauge decreases. For sheet vinyl used in tank liners, and for photographic film, the thickness of the material increases as the gauge increases.
Measuring Vinyl Thickness
For liner ordering, the practical question is simpler: how thick is the vinyl in standard units? Ameri-Brand researched mil and gauge standards and compiled information from manufacturers across the vinyl industry so the common liner sizes can be compared side by side.
Thickness Comparison
The values below are average measurements from vinyl samples provided by multiple liner manufacturers and vinyl suppliers. Each common liner thickness listed here is thinner than a dime.
| Mil | Gauge | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | 30 | 0.0260 | 0.6604 |
| - | 25 | 0.0223 | 0.5652 |
| - | 20 | 0.0185 | 0.4699 |
| 20 | - | 0.0205 | 0.5207 |
| 25 | - | 0.0250 | 0.6350 |
| 27 | - | 0.0270 | 0.6858 |
| 30 | - | 0.0275 | 0.6985 |
| 40 | - | 0.0405 | 1.0287 |
| Dime, for comparison | 0.0490 | 1.2446 | |
Averages are based on multiple measurements taken from vinyl samples provided by multiple liner manufacturers and vinyl suppliers.
Review Tank Liner measuring guidance, then use the Tank Liner price page for your project.