# Bonding Acrylic to PVC



## DavidW (27 Oct 2016)

Hi, what's the best product available in the UK for bonding Acrylic to PVC? I've been looking at Weld-on 40 but can find a UK supplier so does anyone have recommendation for a glue that would work and is available in the UK?

Thanks


----------



## Greenfinger2 (27 Oct 2016)

Hi David, 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...69i57j69i60.2378j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


----------



## zozo (27 Oct 2016)

The best way to glue that is to use a polymer kit.. Like TEC7 well know in the reef building scene.. It bonds strongly to about anything and stays elastic like silicone, it even cures submersed and is completely aquarium safe.. Comes in diferent colors or clear..

Tho, note! It is not suitable for glass to glass bonding such as aquarium building, because polymer absorb +/- 2% water then if under pressure water will eventualy creep between kit and glass and start to leak over time. Many people used it to repair aquarium leaks because it cures submersed, but manufacturer advises against its use for glass to glass permantly submersed when it needs to be an aquarium.

But for the rest there aint no beter glue/kit around for submersed constructions. 

I do not know if other brands polymer kit compair or are have same propperties, but TEC7 has prooven its useability in the reef builders world.


----------



## DavidW (27 Oct 2016)

Greenfinger2 said:


> https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...69i57j69i60.2378j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


Lol already done the google search, most links were recommending Weld-on 40 which I can't find from a UK supplier.


----------



## DavidW (27 Oct 2016)

zozo said:


> .. It bonds strongly to about anything and stays elastic like silicone


Not sure this would work for what I want to use it for, I'm looking to build my own co2 reactor from pvc pipe fitting and an acrylic tube.


----------



## Iain Sutherland (27 Oct 2016)

Can you not use acrylic pipe as well.... 

I made one like this...
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/barb-island-its-all-over.19825/page-15

In fairness buying the AM1000 was far easier.


----------



## foxfish (27 Oct 2016)

DavidW said:


> Not sure this would work for what I want to use it for, I'm looking to build my own co2 reactor from pvc pipe fitting and an acrylic tube.


Hi David, I have made countless numbers of reactors, skimmers, bio filter etc. I found the easy way was to use PVC all the way, clear PV pipe & standard PVC fittings all glued with Ploypipe solvent cement.


----------



## zozo (27 Oct 2016)

Both Acrylic and PVC are glued with a solvent..  Looking at the Weldon 40 data sheet it's a low viscosity solvent.. Now weldon has a range of cements for bonding acrylic.
And i know for a fact if it is for acrylic they all contain Dichloromethane, Chloroform and Monomers.. Only the excact recipe is kept a close guarded secret.

But the majority of the substance is Dicholormethane, which is the best solvent for a polymer like acrylic.. The chloroform and monomers are added to slow the process down a little (make the product a bit less volatile) to get a beter and stronger molecular alinement in the weld.. Because the solvent kinda softens/melts the materials and make them melt into eachother and bond.

If you're into an chemical experiment you can make this stuff yourself..  Go to a beauty shop where they do acrylic nails.. Ask for brush cleaner, 90% chance you'll get a small bottle of 100% Dichloromethane, ask if it is, most likely yes. Now if you use only this, it wont be a strong bond, because this is much to volatile, it evaporates to quick and the bond will be only very superficial.

You could also ask for Acrylic liquid, this the girls use for solving polymer powder to brush on their nails to get a rock hard shiny top layer.. This acrylic liquid (solvent) aso contains monomers to make the polymer harder and bond stronger.

Then you'll have a bottle of 100% Dichloromehane and a bottle of Monomers.. Mix them up in a 90% Dichloro - 10% monomers and put it in a small glass jar. Now you'll have a water thin volatile mixture.. Take a few small pieces of scrap acrylic and a file or coarse sandpaper and make acrylic powder/shavings.. Put these acrilyc shavings in the mixed solution and let it solve and keep adding till you have a syrop like consistancy, not to thick. Apply it to both parts and press them together/into eachother. The solvent will solve both,the acrylic and PVC. Leave it to dry for at least a week.. (This is also recomended for acrylic tanks, 7 days curing)

You could try it without adding scrap acrylic too, but the solvent is water thin and if there is a tiny gap between pvc and acrilic pipe it wont fill that up.. With tube fittings you need to make sure it fits realy snug and tight. If there is a little play in the fittings a syrup will likely fill some tiny gaps.


----------



## DavidW (27 Oct 2016)

Wow thanks for all the options. The chemistry option sounds interesting but given I've accidently blown part of a chemistry lab up while I was at school I'd better give this option a miss.

The pipework on my pump is 25mm pvc pressure pipe so even if I went full acrylic I'd still need to glue it to pvc.

I was looking at clear pvc but it's ive onlt found 1 online retaoler and there quite expensive. Any suggestions where I can get clear pvc at a decent price?


----------



## Greenfinger2 (27 Oct 2016)

Hi David, Me again 

http://clearplastictube.co.uk/Clear...Y0F229UWrtq-2f_HPZ_rdJWO0sw3W8ebdXzaugeLvcXYB


----------



## zozo (27 Oct 2016)

DavidW said:


> Wow thanks for all the options. The chemistry option sounds interesting but given I've accidently blown part of a chemistry lab up while I was at school I'd better give this option a miss.



Lol.. It sounds all more dangerous than realy is, acrylic nail studios do it every day for a living.. Millions of girls do it at home on a daily basis.. Never heard of one blowing themself up during the process. And they all want very strong acrylic nails and they know how to mix them.. Seeing the girls do that for fun gave me the idea to investigate it a little further.. Bottom line is, it the same stuff all over, if sold as an adhesive for (industrial) constructional applications it has a safety sheet and a hazard code.. This is why this cement is so hard to get, the hazard code makes it very expensive to ship around the world, since weld-on is a USA product. But as a beauty product line the same stuff seems to have no hazard code or a much less rated one and it is shipped for free all over the world. Strange but true..

I glued an acrylic light fixture with that home brew stuff and it worked like a charme and it still stands as a house.. And if Weld-on 40 glues acrylic to acrylic and acrylic to PVC as their link states, than this stuff will do that too.

But making it completely from clear PVC is indeed a better and easier option..  I just liked to tell the story that it is possible if you want..


----------

