Water and gas pipes made of plastic quickly and confidently displace their metal predecessors. And this is not surprising, because such communication elements are notable for their low weight, reliability, ease of installation. However, when installing plastic pipes, it is often necessary to create joints by the method of thermal action on the edges of the material. Let's find out how the soldering of plastic is carried out, what tools can be used for these purposes.
Soldering with a specialized welding machine
The 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 corresponding openings, after which they are heated to the melting temperature.
Soldering plastic using the apparatus is performed in the following sequence:
- The evenly 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, the edges of the plastic pipes are melted.
- 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 heat treatment of the edges of the next pipes, the welding machine is thoroughly cleaned of the remnants of the hardened material.
Soldering plastic with a hot metal
The simplest, affordable, but less reliable way to connect the elements of plastic products is the thermal effect using heated metal. In this case, it is enough to glow the iron plate or any other suitable tool. The latter is desirable to fix in a vice, and then lean against the hot surface of the edges of the parts. As soon as the necessary elements of the products are melted, they must be removed from the plate and pressed firmly against each other.
Before the plastic is brazed in this way, it is recommended to clean the surfaces of the parts to be joined from any contaminants that may interfere with the tight joining of the material. If the materials are stained with oils, alcohol, acetone or white spirit should be used here as degreasing compounds.
Gas burner soldering
Do-it-yourself soldering of the plastic 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 type of gaseous substance depends on the characteristics of the plastic that will be susceptible to melting. As practice shows, the most durable compounds in the thermal method of joining plastic parts allows to obtain heating of 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 bar with a diameter of not more than 6 mm is used, the melting of which makes it possible to create a sufficiently thin, neat, but at the same time strong seam. The additive must be made of a material identical to the elements to be connected.
When using a gas burner, the temperature at least 50 ° C higher than the flow rate of the processed material should be maintained at the outlet of the nozzle of the apparatus.
The processing method is relevant not only if it is necessary to connect the pipes, but also in cases where restoration of the automobile bumper, interior elements, and other details is required. In such situations, a mesh for soldering plastic is often used, which is applied to damaged areas, and then filled with molten material.
Hair Dryer
A hot air gun is suitable for connecting plastic elements. Here, heating of the working surface is ensured by connecting the apparatus to the mains.
The soldering dryer contains a mechanism that ensures even distribution of heated air on the surface of the workpieces. To ensure a high-quality tight connection of plastic elements, various nozzles are used during melting. Their size and shape are selected depending on the nature of the materials that are to be processed.
Soldering with chemical solvents
The connection of the edges of the plastic parts by the presented method involves wetting the material with a solvent. After some time, the polymers begin to swell and acquire a viscous structure. In conclusion, it is enough to dock the elements and hold them under pressure for a while until the seam hardens. Compounds gain strength after a few hours. To accelerate the process, surface exposure to slight heating is allowed, which contributes to the accelerated evaporation of the solvent from the structure of the material.
Partially crystalline types of plastic are resistant to chemical solvents. Therefore, here the soldering by the presented method will be ineffective. Most often, the method is resorted to if necessary, processing products made from amorphous thermoplastics.
The use of solvents is a relatively inexpensive way of processing 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 evaporation is harmful to health.
Finally
As a result, it is worth noting that it is better to solder the plastic from the front and the inside of the material, but only with a wall thickness of at least 5 mm. After the joints have hardened, final finishing of the surfaces is carried out, which are ground, putty and prepared for painting. As you can see, soldering plastic is a feasible task. The main thing is to have the necessary tools and act in strict accordance with the instructions.