Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC) is the third most-produced synthetic plastic polymer. Forty million tons of PVC is produced each year, and it is most widely used in plumbing and electrical cable insulations. There are mainly three types of plastic piping used in the industry, and all of them require different adhesives or PVC conduit glue which is often referred to as PVC solvent cement.
- Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)
- Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride(CPVC)
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene(ABS)
Based on the type of materials used, PVC conduit glues can be classified as follows.
PVC Cement
- It is specially designed for pipes made from schedule 40 and 80 PVC types.
- PVC conduit glue softens the pipe upon application and then hardens to make a strong bond between the pipes.
- Suitable for Drain, Waste, and Vent pipes and cannot be used for drinking water supply.
CPVC Cement
- Doesn’t form harmful vapours when joining two pipes.
- Usable for potable water supply piping.
- Avoid using thickened CPVC cement as it is an indication of reduced bonding capability due to loss of catalyzing agent.
ABS Cement
- Designed explicitly for ABS pipes and chemically reacts with the contents of the pipe.
- Useful applications include Drain, Waste, and Vent pipes.
Transitional Cement
- They are used to join different types of pipes, for example, to join ABS and PVC pipes.
- Chemically reacts with the contents of the pipe without the emission of harmful chemicals.
Various manufactures also produce different PVC conduit glue based on the pressure bearing capacity. They are classified as Type P and Type N.
Type P
- It is specifically created to withstand pressurized flow through PVC pipes.
- It can be used for drinking water supply, irrigation, swimming pools, spas, etc.
- Variants are available in green colour or clear form and are ready to use.
- PVC conduit glue of type P meets Australian/New Zealand standards AS/NZS 3879.
- It can only be used to join PVC pipes.
- It has a high bond strength.
Type N
- It is formulated for non-pressurized piping connections.
- It can be used to join PVC pipes to themselves as well as ABS pipes.
- Variants are available in blue or clear form and come as ready to use.
- It can be used in connections for plumbing, electrical, drainage, sewage and stormwater pipes.
- It is safe to be used for drinking water supply.
- It is designed as per Australian/New Zealand standards AS/NZS 3879.
- It sets quickly and also provides high bond strength.
These PVC conduit glue are also classified based on the purpose they can be used for, and they are mentioned below.
Extremely Hot or Cold Condition
- This type of PVC conduit glue is designed to withstand the lowest temperatures of negative 15˚ Fahrenheit and the highest temperature of Positive 110˚ Fahrenheit.
- It is a clear solution with medium thickness and sets very quickly.
- It boasts high bonding strength.
- Its use is allowed across all the types of pipes with 6 inches of diameter, for Schedule 80 through 4 inches.
- Their applications include potable water supply, drain, waste, vents, sewers and irrigation pipes.
Wet Condition
- This is designed to withstand very wet conditions or places where immediate pressurization is required.
- It is blue in colour with medium thickness and sets extremely quickly.
- It also comes with high bonding strength.
- It is applicable on all pipes and fitting with a 6-inch diameter and for schedule 80 type of PVC through 4 inches.
- It finds purpose in piping used for swimming pools, spas, plumbing, and irrigation needs.
General Purpose
- This is applicable to majority types of PVC pipes.
- It serves its purpose in most of the fields including irrigation, drainage, waste, vents, industry level piping, and drinking water supply as well.
- It is grey in colour, with a thick consistency, and sets slowly.
- It has high adhesive strength.
- All pipes with 12-inch diameter can use this PVC conduit glue and can also be used for 18-inch pipes which are used for the non-pressurized purposes.
Conclusion: Most of the failed bonds in pipes are due to inadequate application of PVC conduit glue or application of the wrong type of adhesive. With so many varieties, it can be difficult to select one, but it is of utmost importance to select the right solvent cement to fulfil the purpose. Adhering to the safety norms is also a necessity to avoid accidents.