How to seal packages. How to seal a bag at home. Using Super Glue: A State of the Art Approach

In many cases welding of polyethylene is necessary. A film of different thicknesses and textures is used in construction as a vapor barrier, it is needed in everyday life for arranging greenhouses and greenhouses. When assembling individual parts, it is useless to use glue or adhesive tape: a tight connection at the molecular level provides only a hot connection.

Manufacturers produce equipment of various modifications. Acquiring it for personal purposes is impractical, in order to use it, skills are needed. Specialists learned how to mount a plastic film at home using household appliances. The soldering iron and iron, after a slight improvement, replace the factory-assembled tool.

The melting point of polyethylene depends on its thickness. When welding polyethylene at home, it is necessary to observe the technological regime. Polyethylene is a very thin material, from 30 to 200 microns. How to weld it to form a strong connection:

• it is necessary to heat the equipment to the required temperature (from 130 to 160 ° C);
• the optimal welding speed is selected, with a slow one - the polymer is damaged, with a high one - a strong seam is not formed.

Some nuances:

• only homogeneous materials are mounted, they must match in texture, thickness, density;
• the surface in the area of ​​​​the seam is well cleaned, foreign inclusions violate the tightness of the connection;
• only untouched areas are welded, it is necessary to deviate from the edge at least 5 mm, otherwise a homogeneous structure will not work.

The marking template is placed under a transparent film or put on top, then the paper protects the polymer, it is removed after work is completed. It does not affect the quality of the seam, since it does not have time to stick tightly. Only microscopic fibers remain on the surface.

Film welding with a soldering iron

A standard 40–60 W household heater, after the tip has been improved, is applicable for welding plastic film. But the sting needs to be improved, the standard one is replaced with a copper or aluminum bar. The touch area is small, up to 2 mm. It is convenient when there is a rounding radius, the smooth movement of the tool is ensured.

The blade, sharply sharpened on one side, simplifies the installation process: at the same time, the material is joined and the edges are trimmed.

The finished tip is fixed in the soldering iron with a screw. Sometimes, for reliability, the edge of the sting is not left round, it is flattened, and then set into the cut. Home-made equipment for welding is used in the packaging of small batches of hardware, the manufacture of non-standard packaging. With it, it is easy to make a case for the remote control, a case for the gadget.

It is inconvenient to weld pieces of film with a standard sting:

• too large contact area, an inaccurate seam with sagging is formed;
• sticking of heated polyethylene occurs;
• connection strength is not ensured, a lot of burns.

A simplified version of the sting is a copper or aluminum plate 2–3 mm thick. It is fixed with one side in a soldering iron, the other is rounded off, one edge is sharpened. It is pressed against the film at an angle of 35-45°. Instead of a soldering iron, the use of a burner is acceptable. It is built on the same principle.

Welding with an iron

An important step in the connection of polyethylene overlap is the rapid cooling of the seam area. How to properly connect the film with your own hands using an iron:

1. lay the material on a wooden or other flat heat-insulating surface;
2. put a sheet of thick paper on top;
3. the iron is set to the “cotton” mode (a temperature of 120–150 ° C is needed);
4. the seam is made with a sharp edge of the sole, it is tilted so that there is an angle of 5–10 ° with the surface of the paper;
5. the iron is moved slowly, after which a wet rag is placed on the paper.

For the strength of the seam, the operation is repeated 3-4 times.

Craftsmen make nozzles on irons with metal guides like skates. With their help, double and triple seams are made. For the manufacture of nozzles used:

• heat-resistant stainless steel, if you have the skills to install it;
• non-ferrous metals based on copper;
• aluminum-magnesium dural alloy.

Professional PE Film Welding Equipment

The tool for welding dense polymers: PVC, HDPE, propylene and others is not used when joining polyethylene. It is acceptable to use a hair dryer with a narrow nozzle, but they need skills to work:

• for the formation of a strong seam, it is necessary to observe the required speed;
• the gap between the resin and the hot air must not change.

The device for welding a polyethylene film structurally resembles scissors, the polymer passes between the heated strips. It is equipped with controls:

• warming up;
• material feed rate;
• soldering iron compression force.

Metal or hot air is used to melt the polymer. The width of the feed web varies. The tool is usually designed for threading fixed width rolls. Practice shows that the industrial use of welding devices is more expedient than gluing the polymer.

Polyethylene films are used for roofing hydro and vapor barrier. During the installation process, it is often necessary to connect the pieces into one panel, but adhesive tape does not always help out. It is impossible to fix the connection with ordinary silicate glue or PVA. How to glue a plastic film at home in order to get a reliable and moisture-proof and steam-proof joint? There are several effective and simple ways that do not require sophisticated equipment.

Problems when gluing polyethylene is a fairly common situation. And it's all about the characteristics of the material. It is worth understanding them - and it will be easy to avoid difficulties.

High temperature sinter two layers

Things to remember from chemistry and physics

Polyethylene is the most widely used polymer in the world. Its extraordinary popularity is explained by the excellent properties of the material - impact resistance, plasticity, low gas and water permeability. Films are used for roofing mesh reinforced or fabric, which increases the strength of the material.

Despite the advantages, polyethylene films are very rarely glued in the industry. To understand why the connection of parts is problematic, it is enough to recall school chemistry lessons. The molecule of this polymer is a long chain of similar units -CH2-. The charges inside such a molecule are distributed evenly, it is non-polar. And the higher the polarity, the more the polymer is suitable for bonding.

This device is suitable for small parts.

Connection methods without glue and solvent

The method of gluing with its own solution, which is common for many polymers, is also not suitable - polyethylene practically does not dissolve in organic solvents. The answer to the question: how to glue a plastic film is actually very simple: it is best to use welding.

Of the many methods for welding polyethylene film, two are worth highlighting:

1. Welding with a heated object.
2. Open flame welding.

Both methods are equally effective, but in non-industrial conditions it is still easier and safer to use the first one. However, everyone can choose for themselves the most acceptable option, given the availability necessary tools and own skills. In any case, these methods make it possible to firmly connect the parts to each other, creating reliable building elements, agrotechnical and protective structures.

When laying the film on the roof, you can do without soldering

Preparatory stages for work

Folk wisdom says: "Measure seven times, cut once." And before starting work with polyethylene, it is necessary not only to carefully take measurements, but also to think over every detail. First of all, answer the questions:

• What loads will the finished structure be subjected to?
• What is the expected lifespan of it?
• Do you need 100% hydro stability?

Perhaps, after such questions, the need to glue many parts will disappear. For example, to isolate transported goods or preserve equipment, some parts of the polyethylene film can be fixed with metal staples or twine. And to protect the building structure from moisture, it is recommended to overlap the polymer, covering individual parts.

But when there is a question of how to glue a reinforced film for a greenhouse, reliability should not be neglected. After all, such a design, as a rule, should serve for a long time, perfectly protecting plants from all kinds of weather surprises. Connecting with staples and strong ropes will not work in this case, and welding (any of its proposed types) will be ideal.

Hot Welding Instructions

This method can be called the most simple, effective and safe at the same time, especially when it comes to welding at home. An ordinary iron can be found in every home, and the seams created with the help of heated objects are usually the most even and accurate.

Universal roller for gluing polyethylene

The most convenient tool for this method can be a roller with a built-in electric heater. This tool is ideal when you need to do a lot of work - for example, in large agro-industrial enterprises. As a rule, such devices have to be made independently. And in order for them to work well, you must at least be qualified as an electrician.

However, when it comes to how to glue plastic film for a greenhouse at home, the roller method is not very suitable. After all, not everyone has the time, patience and necessary skills to create such a device, especially when the need for welding rarely arises. Then it is worth resorting to the help of improvised means. And in everyday life there are a lot of devices that can be heated to the desired temperature - approximately 250 ° C.

How to work with an electric iron and analogues

To glue polyethylene with an iron, you just need to lay out the edges of the material on a wooden lath, and then iron the parts through a newspaper or fluoroplastic film folded in half. By the way, these same safety elements will not be superfluous when gluing with other hot objects. Depending on the area of ​​the surface to be joined, a narrow edge, spout or flat iron can be used. A wooden lath will help create an even and neat connection.

What temperature should the iron be heated to? Unfortunately, there are no clear recommendations on this issue, and 250 ° C is rather a relative indicator. The melting temperature depends primarily on the brand of polyethylene. Therefore, in the process of work, you need to be very careful. If the material does not connect and does not change at all, it means that the iron needs to be heated more strongly. If the seam is barely noticeable, and the film near it has lost strength, the temperature is already too high.

There is always a risk of burning through the film. To avoid this, you need to reduce the contact of the iron and the parts to be glued to one second. To prevent polyethylene from sticking to the iron, instead of a newspaper, you can cover the surface of the polymer with thin cellophane before work. To check how effective polyethylene soldering is, you need to pull the connected parts in different directions. If the seam has come apart, the process will have to be started again.

Soldering iron with a special nozzle

If the iron method is not suitable for some reason, other tools can be used. For example, a hot knife and a soldering iron tip will make it possible to create even and thin seam lines. Some craftsmen manage to connect polyethylene parts with a red-hot needle. However, you can use other improvised means. Auxiliary tools are the same as when connecting with an iron - a wooden frame, newspaper or cellophane.

Homemade soldering iron for gluing polyethylene

Film welding with an open flame

You will need:

• one of the possible devices with an open fire: a gas burner, a spirit lamp, blowtorch, match, torch;
• bars made of ceramic or metal.

First, the edges of the film are fixed with bars so that a narrow strip of polyethylene a few millimeters thick is visible at the welding point. The bars should be made of metal or ceramic, but in no case of wood - after all, their function is not only to keep the polyethylene immobile, but also to remove some of the heat so that the connected parts do not burn out.

After that, with the tool chosen for welding, you need to draw a conditional line along the edge of the polyethylene parts. As a result, at the place of contact of the films with an open fire, a dense connecting roller should form. In order for the welding process to be successful, it is advisable to first, empirically, select the optimal speed of the tool. It depends on the device used, and on the brand of polyethylene.

On the roof it is better to work with the device

Is it possible to glue the film with glue

Some craftsmen tried to use BF-4 or BF-2 tools to glue plastic wrap at home. After processing the parts with a 25% solution of chromic anhydride, they applied glue to the surface, but subsequently the seams on the polyethylene film still had to be treated with an iron heated to 50-60 ° C. As a result, this method differed little from the connection with hot objects, even if the temperature was much lower.

Using Super Glue: A State of the Art Approach

The roughness of the surface contributes to the successful connection of parts with glue. But the properties of the polymer, which in question, are opposite - it is distinguished by perfect smoothness. And yet, how to glue a plastic film for a greenhouse using only one of the ordinary factory adhesives? Until recently, it was believed that this was impossible.

Recently, however, varieties of superglues specifically designed to work with plastic film have appeared on the market. Among the advantages of such products:

• lack of smell;
• water resistance;
• elasticity;
• connection strength.

When dry, they can be thinned with acetone. However, they must be used with caution, avoid contact with the skin and household surfaces, because the composition contains potent solvents.

Noteworthy are products based on ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate, which were developed by chemist Harry Coover during military experiments in the United States back in the middle of the last century. Such types of glue are now available due to mass production, create fairly strong bonds, and are also suitable for working with rubber and metal.

Is the choice of glue for joining parts justified?

Is it worth using glue for polyethylene at home, including for roofing works? One of the main problems when used in everyday life can be its toxicity. In addition, not all products on the market are of sufficient quality. And it is simply impossible to check the effectiveness of the glue when buying. At the same time, when using one of the types of welding, there are more chances to get an excellent result.

Using glue for polyethylene

As you can see, there are many ways to glue a plastic film at home, and everyone can choose the most suitable one for themselves. In addition, there is always the opportunity to turn to professionals who will not only give practical advice, but can also provide practical assistance.

Many summer residents sooner or later face a problem,. There are two solutions here - buy ready-made, but it is not cheap, or glue the material yourself to the desired width.

It is possible to do this at home, especially when it comes to a small greenhouse.

For work you will need:

• polyethylene directly, but with a margin, since it will be necessary to overlap,
• paper,
• iron,
• flat surface, such as a table,
• two assistants if possible.

How to glue pvc film - steps

1. Join two pieces of material together.
2. Lay paper or plain newspaper folded in half so that it is slightly wider than the overlap.
3. Heat up the iron, test on two pieces optimal temperature at which they stick together. This will avoid spoiling a large piece of film.
4. Attach the iron to the overlap, while one assistant should level the joint, and the second evenly move the material.

It is impossible to immediately remove the paper from the junction, as pieces of the glued area may tear. You have to wait until it cools down.

If you have to cover a large greenhouse, you can purchase a special apparatus that will quickly and efficiently fasten wide pieces, and then the instruction, how to glue the film with an iron, not required.

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

Artificial reservoirs are popular and in demand today. This is a beautiful item. landscape design, which can be found in many suburban areas. Someone installs small ponds, someone makes large ponds, plants plants around them, launches fish.

To create high-quality waterproofing of any pond, regardless of its size, a durable film is used - a simple and inexpensive material. Its advantages also include durability, environmental friendliness, resistance to ultraviolet radiation, pressure, and temperature extremes.

With it, you can create reservoirs of various widths and depths, it does not interfere with the breeding of plants, animals and fish, and it is allowed to install this material even in the winter season.

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

The film must be selected based on the depth of the pond. So, if this indicator is 75 cm, then the film thickness should be about 0.5 mm. For reservoirs up to one and a half meters deep, PVC with a thickness of 1 mm is purchased. Well, for deep ponds, butyl rubber EPDM is already suitable.

1. It is more convenient to lay the material in one piece, but often this is not possible, so the question arises, or a pond.
2. The first step is to remove dirt and dust from the coating.
3. Before laying the film, the pit is pre-cleared, stones, debris, tree roots are removed, the bottom is leveled, and a pillow of sand is created. Boards are placed under the edges of the material, which are left even after the work is completed.
4. Next, two pieces of film are placed on top of each other with an overlap of about 7 cm wide.
5. To connect the EPDM, neoprene mounting adhesive or a special tape is required. PVC film can be bonded with PVC adhesive or sealant.
6. The composition is applied in a thin layer on both sides, allow to dry for ten minutes and connect the lower and upper edges of the film.
7. The place of gluing is rolled with a silicone roller across the seam, then along. You need to press hard to get out all the air bubbles.
8. At the last stage, a plastic spatula is used, with which the entire seam is leveled, and it is also additionally treated with an edge sealant. The result is a smooth and very strong connection that will provide reliable waterproofing of an artificial reservoir in both summer and winter.

AT recent times Inexpensive devices for welding polyethylene film have appeared on the market, but their disadvantage is the performance of one operation. The author of the homemade product offers to make a multifunctional "sealer" with your own hands. The author also shows several examples of the operation of such a device.

Tools and materials:
-Soldering iron
- Two stings for a soldering iron
- Fluoroplastic tape
-Ruler
-Two screws
-PVC film
-File
-A hammer
-Sandpaper

The author purchased the fluoroplastic tape in the market where heating elements are sold. If it is impossible to purchase a tape, it can be replaced with a substrate from self-adhesive wallpaper. The author advises using a soldering iron at 40-60 watts.

Step 1: Making a Mandrel for Welding and Trimming

The first mandrel is needed to seal the edge of the bag and at the same time remove the excess film.

The principle of operation is simple. The film is pressed against the surface of the guide. A mandrel inserted into the soldering iron is guided along the guide, which seals the edge of the film and at the same time “cuts off” the excess. In this case, the angle of the mandrel is 30 degrees, and the rounding of the end does not allow damage to the template.

Step 2: Making a Mandrel for Bulkhead Welding

The second mandrel is designed for welding partitions in manufactured products and has a flat working surface. In contrast to edge welding, when welding partitions, it is necessary to place a fluoroplastic gasket between the mandrel and the film. Such a mandrel is capable of welding two films of 0.1 mm each. Empirically, the author found that with a thickness of a PTFE gasket of 0.08 mm, a working surface of the mandrel equal to 2 mm is required to weld a film of 0.1 mm.

Step 3: Making the Retainer
Not all soldering irons have the ability to replace the tip. The author found a way out by drilling a hole in the bottom of the soldering iron and cutting the thread for the screw.

Step 4: Making the guide
In order for the mandrel to move smoothly on the surface, the author used a ruler. On one edge of the ruler, I fixed the fluoroplastic tape with screws. The guide is ready.

The film soldering device is ready. Consider a few examples of the use of such a device. According to the author, it is best to solder at a mandrel temperature of 300-350 degrees.

Production of packaging for several types of fasteners
Of course, you can pack all fasteners (or other small parts of different functionality) into one cell, but it is much more convenient if there is a separate compartment for each type.

First you need to draw, on a piece of paper, a template. The author marked the edge on the template with a dotted line, the middle is solid.

On a hard surface, with the help of adhesive tape, I fixed the template. I put two pieces of film on the template, slightly larger than the template. I installed a mandrel for partitions in the soldering iron. Pressed the film guide against the template. Since it first solders the internal compartments, the guide is installed with a fluoroplastic tape down. Conducts a mandrel, fixed in a soldering iron and heated to the desired temperature, along the internal lines of the template.

After the compartments have been formed, it changes the mandrel and seals and trims the side walls of the package.

Fills the compartments with the necessary parts.

Seams the remaining edges.

Everything is ready.

Case for remote control
For the manufacture of the cover, it is better to use shrink film.
Having measured the remote control in the thickest place, I made a template and cut the film according to the template.

I wrapped the remote control with foil and soldered the edges.

With the help of a hair dryer, I seated the film over the entire surface of the remote control.

The cover is ready.

Making an ice cassette.
Soldered the cells according to the template.

This problem is often faced by owners of summer cottages, greenhouses, home craftsmen, and even car owners. After failures, people start looking for information on the topic. Is it possible to glue polyethylene at all? In the article you will find the answer to this question.

Polyethylene and its properties

Polyethylene is a very common material with many excellent properties. It is used for insulation, for packaging, for protection against moisture, it is an excellent electrical insulator, it absorbs the most dangerous type of radiation - neutrons and therefore is used in protection against them, it is completely chemically resistant. This latter sometimes turns from a virtue into a disadvantage. How to glue polyethylene? Bonding is a chemical process and a bit electrical, oddly enough. Molecules of glued substances are attracted to each other with the help of the dissimilarity of their electric charges.

That is, there should be in nature (and on the market) such an adhesive that adheres well to polyethylene, and when hardened, firmly holds the glued parts. So, the problem is that it is very difficult to glue polyethylene. Its molecules are electrically very "balanced", hence the extraordinary chemical resistance of the material. And unwillingness to stick together with anything. Nevertheless, the industry has found how to glue polyethylene. True, not all of this is suitable for the home, but something may come in handy. Here suitable ways, selected by the resulting strength rating:

• Polyethylene welding
• Adhesive Weicon Easy-Mix PE-PP
• Epoxy plus oxidant

Polyethylene welding

The strongest seam is obtained by welding polyethylene. If done correctly. The fact is that polyethylene is molded hot, usually under very high pressure, which reaches hundreds of kilograms per square centimeter. And when it is reheated at atmospheric pressure until melting, it tends to shrink, a little, but this is enough to make it difficult to weld. Two types of welding can be distinguished: film welding and welding of thick polyethylene (canisters, pipes, etc.)

To weld the film, heated objects or a special apparatus for gluing polyethylene, or rather, welding, are used. It works like this: both layers of film are pulled over a heated wedge, and then immediately welded with a pair of compressed rollers. With the right selection of temperature and pressure of the rollers, an excellent result is obtained - complete tightness of the seam.

But with a little practice, you can learn how to glue polyethylene even with an electric soldering iron or iron through paper so as not to spoil its sole. The clean edges of the film are superimposed on each other and through the paper they are led with the edge of the sole of a heated iron.

A soldering iron with a clean tip, when turned on through the voltage regulator, welds the seam even better, and it does not need paper. You can also make a collar on the sting with a small, conveniently shaped metal nozzle. Then the sting can be used for its intended purpose, and the polyethylene will not be stained with solder or soot from the flux.

Bonding thick polyethylene is more difficult, and good skill is required here. Most The best way heating: gas portable burner (it is convenient to work with), or a hair dryer with a nozzle for a narrow jet + 250 ° C.

The course of action may be as follows:

1. Thoroughly clean and dry surfaces before welding.
2. Prepare polyethylene filler for the seam. It is best to take a narrow piece of the same material.
3. Heat the edges of the seam before melting, let them “settle” a little. But do not get involved in this process.
4. Start introducing the additive (see item 2), fusing it evenly into both sides of the seam to a thickness equal to the material.
5. Let the seam cool completely.

The same method is applicable when deciding how to glue polyethylene foam. The surface of polyethylene foam is not very conducive to bonding, and it is better to weld it carefully.

Another way to weld thick polyethylene, see the video:

Gluing with acrylate glue with filler

The best adhesive is Weicon Easy-Mix PE-PP. It is specially designed for materials with poor adhesion. Most liquids "stick" to polyethylene very poorly, and are simply squeezed out from the point of contact of the surfaces.

But in this glue there is an additive of tiny glass beads, which does not allow the glue to leave the place of gluing, forming a gap of the required thickness. Therefore, the bonding surface is sufficient and the adhesive, when cured, holds the surfaces together firmly. It is difficult to find better than gluing polyethylene.

Surfaces must be thoroughly degreased and dried before bonding. Adhesive can only be supplied from the branded packaging mixer. The best temperature for work is +21...+23 °C. Glue in a liquid state is suitable for no more than 2-3 minutes. Having applied a layer, it is necessary to join the surfaces immediately. The complete readiness of the seam (the highest mechanical strength) for polyethylene will be achieved in a few hours (4-5 according to the experience of working with glue). Exposure of the adhesive joint is carried out at a temperature of +15 to +70 degrees.

Gluing with epoxy glue

This is the most accessible method, if we talk specifically about gluing, and not welding. Before gluing polyethylene, you need to prepare the surface.

Epoxy glue is not a glue for bonding polyethylene, but, nevertheless, phenol formaldehyde resin has a very decent adhesion to the surface of polyethylene. In this case, you need to act like this:

1. Roughen the surface with sandpaper, then degrease and dry.
2. Treat both surfaces with a 15-25% solution of chromic anhydride or 20-30% potassium dichromate. (Caution, caustic substances and dangerous carcinogens!) You can take another strong oxidizing agent: a strong solution of potassium permanganate. It is not inferior in efficiency, but much safer. After treatment, dry the surfaces again.
3. Prepare epoxy according to instructions.
4. Apply glue to both surfaces in a thin layer and join.
5. To withstand at a temperature of +30...+45°C for several hours, but it is better to hold for a day until ready.

Conclusion

In the case of high strength requirements, welding should certainly be preferred. If welding is still accompanied by keeping the seam warm at about seventy degrees for several hours with slow cooling, then the seam will have a slight brittleness. The abrupt cooling of the seam makes it brittle, especially in cold conditions.

Filled acrylate glue does not require mechanical surface preparation, except for unconditional cleaning and degreasing, which must always be done before gluing. You can even try to experiment with other acrylate adhesives by introducing an additive in the form of crushed chalk or cement. It is possible that you will be able to get a high-quality and very inexpensive recipe.

Epoxy glue is the most difficult to use, and the strength here is not the highest. But in extreme cases, and this can be a way out.