Soldering plastic: tools, technology

Water pipes and gas pipes made of plastic, quickly and confidently replace their metal precursors. And this is not surprising, because such elements of communication differ in insignificant weight, reliability, simplicity of installation. However, when installing plastic pipes, it is often necessary to create connections by the method of thermal impact on the edges of the material. Let's find out how the plastic is soldered, what tools can be used for this purpose.

Soldering by a specialized welding machine

A soldering iron for plastic is a kind of "iron", which contains special holes for pipes of different diameters. The edges of the latter are placed in the appropriate openings, after which they are heated to the melting temperature.

The soldering of the plastic with the aid of the apparatus is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The exactly 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 undergo melting.
2. After softening the material, the pipes are sharply removed from the connectors and connected together in fittings. In this case, a noticeable influx of molten material should form at the junction of the edges.
3. Before the heat treatment of the edges of the next tubes, the welding machine is thoroughly cleaned of the residues of the solidified material.

Soldering plastic with hot metal

The simplest, affordable, but less reliable way to join plastic items is through thermal exposure with hot metal. In this case, it is sufficient to heat the iron plate or any other suitable tool. The latter is desirable to fix in the vice, then lean against the hot surface of the edges of the parts. As soon as the melting of the desired elements of the product occurs, they must be removed from the plate and firmly pressed against each other.

Before soldering the plastic in this way, it is recommended to clean the surfaces of the parts to be connected from any contaminants that might prevent the material from densely joining. If the materials are stained with oils, alcohol, acetone or white spirit should be used as degreasing compounds.

Soldering using a gas burner

The soldering of plastic by one's own hands can be performed by a heated gas emanating from the nozzle of the burner. As a refueling here can serve as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon. The choice of the type of gaseous substance depends on the characteristics of the plastic that will be subjected to melting. As practice shows, the strongest joints with the thermal method of joining plastic parts allow to get the material heated by argon or nitrogen.

The presented soldering technology allows the performance of work with the use of additives and without. In the first case, a plastic rod with a diameter of no more than 6 mm is used, the melting of which makes it possible to create a thin enough, neat, but at the same time, strong seam. The additive must be made of a material identical to the elements to be joined.

When using a gas burner at the outlet of the nozzle, the temperature must be maintained at least 50 ° C higher than the yield point of the material being processed.

The treatment method is relevant not only when pipes are to be connected, but also when it is necessary to restore the car bumper, interior elements, and other parts. In such situations, a grid for soldering plastic is often used, which is applied to the damaged areas, and then it is poured with molten material.

Soldering iron

Thermophene is suitable for connecting plastic elements. Here, the heating of the working surface is ensured by the connection of the apparatus to the mains.

The soldering dryer contains a mechanism that ensures a uniform distribution of heated air on the surface of the workpieces to be processed. To ensure a quality tight connection of plastic elements, during the melting all kinds of nozzles are used. Their size and shape are selected depending on the nature of the materials that are subject to processing.

Soldering with chemical solvents

The joining of the edges of the plastic parts by the present method involves wetting the material with a solvent. After a while, polymers begin to swell and acquire a viscous structure. In the end, it is enough to dock the elements and hold them for some time under pressure until the joint solidifies. The joints acquire strength after a few hours. To accelerate the process, it is permissible to act on the surface with insignificant heating, which facilitates the accelerated evaporation of the solvent from the structure of the material.

Partially crystalline plastics are resistant to chemical solvents. Therefore, here the soldering by the presented method will prove to be ineffective. Most often, the method is resorted to when processing products made of 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 mostly toxic, and their evaporation is harmful to health.

Finally

As a result, it should be noted that it is better to solder the plastic from the front and inside of the material, but only with a wall thickness of at least 5 mm. After hardening of the joints, final finishing of the surfaces is carried out, which are ground, shpakkuyutsya and prepared for painting. Apparently, soldering plastic is a very feasible task. The main thing is to have the necessary tool and act in strict accordance with the instructions.