1.1.12 Chemical Joint: Solvent Welding

Solvent welding uses a solvent to dissolve the surfaces of two chemically similar plastic parts. When the two parts are pressed together and the solvent evaporates, the surfaces are permanently fused. Solvent welding is used for plastics like PVC and ABS, which may be dissolved by solvents. The solvent must be chosen for the specific plastic being welded. Plastics that are not vulnerable to solvents, such as PP and PE, cannot be solvent welded. Manufacturers with concerns about solvents may avoid using this technique.

1.1.13 Chemical Joint: Adhesives

The term adhesive covers a large and varied group of materials with an enormous range of properties and potential applications. There are so many types of adhesives available that the task of selecting one can be bewildering. While an undemanding application may do well with any number of bonding agents, other applications require special characteristics only found in a selective few adhesives. Understanding the requirements of the application will go a long way towards zeroing in on a good adhesive choice. We’ll start by discussing some basic classifications of adhesives.