Water and gas pipes made of plastic are quickly and confidently replacing their metal predecessors. And this is not surprising, because such communication elements are distinguished by their low weight, reliability, and ease of installation. However, when installing plastic pipes, it is often necessary to create connections by thermal action on the edges of the material. Let's find out how plastic is soldered, what tools can be used for this purpose.
Soldering with specialized welding machine
A soldering iron for plastic is a kind of "iron" that contains special holes for pipes of various diameters. The edges of the latter are placed in the appropriate openings, after which they are heated to the melting temperature.
Plastic soldering using the machine is performed in the following sequence:
- The straight cut end of the pipe is inserted into the heating sleeve. The device is connected to the mains. The metal planes of the unit are heated to the desired temperature. Further edges of plastic pipesundergo melting.
- After softening the material, the pipes are sharply removed from the connectors and connected to each other in the fittings. At the same time, a noticeable influx of molten material should form at the junction of the edges.
- Before the heat treatment of the edges of the next pipes, the welding machine is thoroughly cleaned of the remnants of the solidified material.
Soldering plastic with hot metal
The simplest, most affordable, but less reliable way to connect elements of plastic products is thermal exposure using heated metal. In this case, it is enough to heat up an iron plate or any other suitable tool. It is desirable to fix the latter in a vice, and then lean the edges of the parts against the hot surface. As soon as the necessary elements of the products are melted, they must be removed from the plate and firmly pressed against each other.
Before the plastic is soldered in this way, it is recommended to clean the surfaces of the parts to be joined from any contaminants that may prevent the material from being tightly joined. If the materials are stained with oils, alcohol, acetone or white spirit should be used as degreasing compounds here.
Brazing with a gas burner
Do-it-yourself plastic soldering can be done with heated gas coming from the burner nozzle. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon can serve as a gas station here. The choice of the type of gaseous substance depends oncharacteristics of the plastic to be melted. As practice shows, the most durable connections in the thermal method of joining plastic parts can be obtained by heating the material with argon or nitrogen.
The presented soldering technology allows the performance of work with and without additives. In the first case, a plastic rod with a diameter of not more than 6 mm is used, the melting of which makes it possible to create a fairly thin, neat, but at the same time strong seam. The filler must be made from a material identical to the elements to be joined.
When using a gas torch, the temperature at the outlet of the machine nozzle must be maintained at least 50oC higher than the flow rate of the material being processed.
The processing method is relevant not only if it is necessary to connect pipes, but also in cases where the restoration of a car bumper, interior elements, and other parts is required. In such situations, it is not uncommon to use a plastic soldering mesh that is applied to damaged areas and then poured with molten material.
Soldering dryer
A hot air gun is suitable for connecting plastic elements. Here, the heating of the working surface is provided by connecting the machine to the mains.
The soldering dryer contains a mechanism that ensures uniform distribution of heated air on the surface of the workpieces. To ensure high-quality tight connection of plastic elements, during meltingvarious nozzles are used. Their size and shape are selected depending on the nature of the materials to be processed.
Soldering with chemical solvents
Connecting the edges of plastic parts in the presented way involves wetting the material with a solvent. After some time, the polymers begin to swell and acquire a viscous structure. Finally, it is enough to join the elements and hold them under pressure for some time until the seam hardens. Joints gain strength after a few hours. To speed up the process, slight heating is allowed on the surface, which contributes to the accelerated evaporation of the solvent from the structure of the material.
Partially crystalline plastics are resistant to chemical solvents. Therefore, here soldering by the presented method will be ineffective. Most often, the method is resorted to when it is necessary to process products made from amorphous thermoplastics.
The use of solvents is a relatively inexpensive way to process plastic parts. However, it is recommended to resort to it only in extreme cases, when it is not possible to use a specialized tool. Since solvents are predominantly toxic and their fumes are harmful to he alth.
In conclusion
As a result, it is worth noting that it is better to solder plastic from the front and inside of the material, but only with a wall thickness of at least 5 mm. After curingconnections, the final finishing of surfaces is carried out, which are polished, puttied and prepared for painting. As you can see, soldering plastic is quite a doable task. The main thing is to have the necessary tools and act strictly according to the instructions.
