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Welding PVC - Temperature Matters!
Plastic welding with one of Polyvance’s nitrogen plastic welders is the fastest, strongest way to repair damaged plastics. Polyvance machines offer precise temperature and flow control to accommodate the different melting points of all thermoplastics. It is important to weld at the proper temperature. Welding at a higher-than-recommended setting could compromise the strength of your plastic weld.
PVC is a good example of a heat-sensitive plastic. If you weld it at an excessively high temperature, you will scorch the plastic, even when welding with nitrogen gas.
This video shows the difference of the weld quality when welding PVC at the recommended temperature versus welding at a higher-than-recommended temperature. We also used a tension tester to test the strengths of the welds. The average peak load for samples welded at the recommended temperature was much higher than the average peak load for samples welded at the higher temperature.
To maximize the strength of your plastic welds, use the recommended welder settings provided by Polyvance. And remember, hotter is not always better!
Always wear proper safety gear while working!
Let us know your thoughts on this video by leaving a comment on YouTube!
Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfwLuvAPuzY
Helpful Resources:
- View our our Plastic Identification Chart for help identifying common plastics. You can also consult The Book of Plastic Repair that came with your welder.
- Suggested Temperature Settings (Digital Models)
Video Notes:
- English Closed Captions have been provided for this video. Click on the CC button to turn them on or off.
- The length of this video is in no way representative of the actual time required to perform a complete repair and therefore should not be used for estimating purposes.
Music Credits
- "Sage" by Slenderbeats
From the YouTube Audio Library
Narration:
- Rob Rode
English Transcript:
Plastic welding with one of Polyvance’s nitrogen plastic welders is the fastest, strongest way to repair damaged plastics. Polyvance machines offer precise temperature and flow control to accommodate the different melting points of all thermoplastics. It is important to weld at the proper temperature, and in this video, we’ll show you why. Hotter is not always better!
There are many different types of thermoplastics. Polyvance has the largest variety of plastic welding rods to match the most popular types of plastics in the industry. Thermoplastics are comprised of long chains of carbon molecules that intertwine and lock in place due to weak bonds between the molecule chains. Heat breaks these weak bonds and allows the molecule chains to slip past one another. This is what happens when you melt a thermoplastic.
Thermoplastics melt at different temperatures depending on the construction of the molecule chain. ABS and low-density polyethylene melt at relatively low temperatures, while nylon melts at a much higher temperature. It’s important to set your plastic welder at the proper setting to melt the type of plastic you’re working with. Welding at a higher-than-recommended setting could compromise the strength of your plastic weld.
PVC is a good example of a heat-sensitive plastic. If you weld it at an excessively high temperature, you will scorch the plastic, even when welding with nitrogen gas. Here, we are welding at the recommended power setting of about 48. You can see that the plastic melts cleanly with no discoloration. However, when PVC is welded at too high a temperature, the plastic is scorched and discolored.
We tested the strengths of the PVC welds by pulling up on the free end of the welding rod using a tension tester. We tested nine samples welded at 850 degrees Fahrenheit and nine samples welded at 1300 degrees Fahrenheit, all welded with nitrogen gas. The average peak load for samples welded at 850 degrees was 60.6 pounds, versus 39.1 pounds for samples welded at 1300 degrees. The welds performed at 850 degrees were 55 percent stronger on average than those performed at 1300 degrees.
To maximize the strength of your plastic welds, use the recommended welder settings provided by Polyvance. And remember, hotter is not always better!
