Manufacturers love relatively cheap, pliable and lightweight plastic. And car owners have a reason to love it - parts made from this material. This means there is no need to regularly go broke on replacing damaged parts.

Before we tell you how to repair plastic products, let's pay attention to some of their features. Today manufacturers use various types plastics, including ABS plastic, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride and others. They all have different properties, That's whyBefore starting repairs, you must find out what material you are dealing with. Marking will help you - it is on any part. Trying to weld two parts from different plastics, you will waste your time: the connection, for example, of polypropylene with ABS plastic will be fragile, and therefore extremely short-lived.

Let's get back to repairs and tell you how to repair plastic parts using glue and soldering. In front of us is a damaged spare part. Let's get started!

Solution 1: Gluing

This repair method is quite simple. For it you will need, we have - dichloroethane, it is the most affordable and perfectly glues ABS plastic. You will also need a brush, preferably a synthetic one. It is convenient because after the first use, the glued hardened hairs can be trimmed, and the rest of them can be heated, the hairs will fluff up, and the brush will still serve you.

So, take a brush, moisten it in dichloroethane, apply it to the parts or parts to be glued - first on one, then on the other. It is better to put the composition in two layers, since the first, preliminary one, will begin to actively corrode the plastic... We apply the parts to each other, press and wait. Dichloroethane takes quite a long time to dry, up to six hours. With patience, we get the whole part!

Solution 2: Soldering

In fact, there are two ways to weld a plastic part at the site of damage - using a hair dryer and a plastic rod, or a soldering iron and a brass or copper mesh. But first, let's talk about the device with which we will carry out the work.

Usually, powerful large hair dryers (also called technical hair dryers) are used for soldering. But they are inconvenient to work with: such hair dryers are bulky, heavy and heat up a large surface. That's whywe preferred simple soldering station with a soldering iron and a light compact hair dryer. It is inexpensive, around 3,000 rubles - the price may vary depending on the configuration. We will not need the solder included in the kit, which is used to repair radio components.

Method 1: Repair using a hair dryer and a wand

We remove the hair dryer from the station. We set the temperature required for soldering ABS plastic to 300 °C. As the work progresses, the temperature should be adjusted if the plastic melts too much or, conversely, not enough.

We heat the rod with a hairdryer so that it becomes soft and almost begins to melt, and we do the same with the damaged area on the part. The mating part must be well heated, otherwise the adhesion will be poor and the resulting connection will be fragile. If the plastic of the part being repaired swells, it means the process is going correctly.

Method 2. Repair using a soldering iron and mesh

To do this job, we placed a flat tip on the soldering iron. It is inconvenient to press the mesh with a standard sharp tip. Speaking of her. You can use brass or copper mesh - large or with a fine-mesh structure. A piece of brass mesh measuring approximately 250x200 mm costs about 250 rubles. A larger mesh will be cheaper and can also be used, but be prepared to spend more time.

First, let's level and fix the damaged area so that the surface does not play during the repair process. To do this, connect the edges of the crack in some places by melting them with a soldering iron and let it cool. After this, we apply the mesh and begin to solder it. We don’t have a very powerful soldering iron (about 45 W), so we set the temperature to the maximum to make the process go faster.

We begin to embed the mesh into the plastic. The result is a reinforced surface, neat and quite beautiful. This method is convenient for connecting cracks, for example. The work is easy and relatively simple. The main thing is to ensure that the mesh is completely soldered. When everything is ready, let the plastic cool. Let's check. We have a fairly strong connection. The surface moves slightly because we did not secure the parts with outside. To get a more rigid connection, you can solder the rod here, then remove the excess plastic and paint the part.

Repairing plastic parts is a painstaking process, but relatively simple and inexpensive. In this case, you can choose the most convenient way repairs and, after spending some time, do not spend extra money.

You will need

• - soldering iron or glue;
• - acetone;
• - sponge;
• - emery;
• - fiberglass;
• - solder wire;
• - clamp or masking tape;
• - fittings;
• - primer for plastic;
• - dye;
• - varnish

Instructions

Find out the composition of the plastic - its marking should be indicated on the back of the product (for example, PA - polyamide or PP -). It is important to study the properties of this material, since the type - gluing or welding - will depend on this. Thermoplastic polymers (plexiglass, polyethylene, polypropylene and others) are easy to recycle. But you won’t be able to melt the so-called thermosets (they contain phenol-formaldehyde, epoxy and other resins and fillers). You will need special glue.

Pick up at building material adhesive composition, epoxy for this type of plastic and consult with a competent seller. Follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly. Sand the surfaces to be glued, clean them of dirt and degrease with acetone. You can glue the crack directly along the seam, or pre-reinforce it with fiberglass.

To solder a leaky plastic part, use a solder wire of identical chemical composition. Process working parts sandpaper a centimeter from the edge, since the welded part will have to step on the left allowance for the strength of the seam. Collect the broken plastic into pieces and secure them with a clamp (fixing tool) or masking tape.

Start thin plastic from the “face” so that an unsightly bump does not appear on the visible surface. Plastic of a denser composition can be repaired immediately from the reverse side. Run the soldering iron along the crack; apply solder and fuse it into the thickness of the softened material. On the reverse side of the work, you can use thicker wire.

Some craftsmen combine plastic soldering with reinforcement (strengthening the structure). To do this, it is recommended to purchase a special brass or bronze mesh (about 0.2 mm in thickness). Cut the reinforcing material into strips the right size. Your task is to apply the amplifier to inner surface chip and (heating the plastic with a soldering iron) drown it in the molten material.

Prepare for cosmetic repairs plastic. The glued or sealed surface must be washed, sanded with 1000 sandpaper and wiped with acetone.

Shake the can of plastic primer, shake it for 10 minutes and apply to the damaged part from a distance of 20 cm. If the packaging has other instructions, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Cover the plastic with 2-3 layers of primer (depending on the depth of the damage), let it dry and again go over the product with sandpaper and acetone.

The final stage Repairing plastic will be done by spraying a special dye. Make sure it is designed specifically for the material. Apply required quantity decorative layers; Before each new coating, let the previous one dry for 15-20 minutes. If necessary, coat the product with varnish an hour after painting. You managed to repair the plastic, but until it dries completely it must be protected from dust and other contaminants.

Often we need to glue a broken or cracked plastic product - from the temple of glasses to the bumper of a car. It may also be necessary to glue a hook in the bathroom or a holder for a garden sprayer. The essence of the gluing process is to dissolve the surface layer of two workpieces and form from this solution a layer of plastic common to both parts. After hardening, the parts form a single whole, or, as they say, “glue tightly together.”

Determining the type of plastic

In order to reliably glue plastic, you first need to find out what kind of plastic the object is made of. Knowing the plastic, you can choose the most suitable adhesive for it.

All manufacturers put recycling symbols on their plastic products - this is the well-known Recycling Triangle - a triangle with arrows on the sides, symbolizing the reuse of materials.

The triangle contains numbers from one to seven. Often the numbers are supplemented by an abbreviation. These designations are used to determine the type of plastic.

What does the marking on plastic mean?

• PET polyethylene low pressure or polyethylene terephthalate. It is mainly used for packaging or packaging food products. Available in the form of film, bags or transparent containers for liquid and bulk goods, as well as drinks.
• HDPE compacted low pressure polyethylene. Used for the production of shrink film and packaging bags.
• V (PVC) polyvinyl chloride – not food grade plastic, used to make strong and durable items such as household buckets, frames metal-plastic windows, linoleum.
• LDPE Low Density Polyethylene high pressure. Used in the production of bottles for drinks and dairy products, packaging bags, toys, cold water pipes.
• PP polypropylene. Plastic is not chemically active, heat-resistant (up to 150 ° C), most widely used in the production of medical goods, heat-resistant dishes and household utensils, toys, pipes and fittings for hot water, and much more.
• PS polystyrene. Also food grade plastic, it is used to make disposable tableware, household utensils, kitchen appliance housings. If it is foamed, it forms an excellent porous heat insulator - polystyrene foam, used in everyday life and in construction work.
• O Other (others) - materials that are not intended for recycling, for example, with inclusions of metal, paper or other substances). This also includes plastics that do not belong to one of the six groups.

PS - polystyrene

To reliably glue plastic, you need to carefully examine the markings on the product and select an adhesive intended for polymers of this group. There is another way to determine the type of plastic - a small piece of it must be set on fire. Each type burns with a characteristic smell and type of flame. To reliably use this method at home, you need to gain considerable experience.

Glue marking

Tubes with glue are also marked, it’s just a pity that the designation system does not always coincide with the designations in the triangle on the plastic product. Most often you can see the following symbols on the tube:

• PC-polycarbonate (used for covering greenhouses and canopies).
• ABS is an acrylonitrile copolymer.
• PP polypropylene.
• PPMA organic glass for general purpose.
• PE is a well-known polyethylene.
• PVC is another familiar one - vinyl, or polyvinyl chloride.
• PS – polystyrene.
• PA 66 - polyamide.
• PUR polyurethane.

If you are not an expert in organic chemistry, then, most likely, further study of labeling at home will not be successful. It is better to read in the user manual, which must be included with the tube, which plastics can be glued with it.

Types of adhesives

The variety of plastics used in everyday life corresponds to an equally wide variety of manufactured compositions and methods of their use.

How to glue plastic

To dissolve the surface layer of the material, you need to destroy chemical bonds between molecules. For this purpose, special substances are used - strong solvents. Each solvent is suitable for its own group of plastics, and may not even leave a trace on a material from another group. The basis of each adhesive composition is such a solvent. In addition, the composition may include:

• a hardener that promotes drying;
• filler - dissolved molecules of the substance for which the glue is intended.

One of the strongest solvents is dichloroethane. It is used to glue polystyrene and plexiglass.

Depending on the method of application, the products are divided into several groups:

• liquid;
• contact;
• reactionary;
• hot melt adhesives.

Liquid

Liquid ones are widely used in everyday life; they are easily and simply used at home for gluing plastic that has a porous structure. They are produced both on the basis organic solvent, and on water based. They are applied to surfaces that are pressed against each other for a time sufficient for the base to evaporate. After this, the adhesive layer hardens, forming a connecting seam. A typical example is PVA glue; it can be used to glue not only linoleum, but also wood at home.

Contact

Bonding takes place in two stages:

• the surfaces to be glued are lubricated thin layer, which dissolves the surface layer of plastic, softening it and facilitating contact with another surface;
• After a few minutes, the parts are pressed against each other with force, the softened layers are mixed, the solvent evaporates and a seam is formed.

This is how Moment, BF-2 and others work. They can be used to glue polystyrene and other plastics together at home. They contain toxic substances, so you need to work in a well-ventilated area and prevent drops from getting on your skin or mucous membranes.

Reactionary

One-component reactive agents dissolve the bonded material very quickly and harden just as quickly. These are such well-known brands as Secunda, Superglue and their analogues. The seam is strong and rigid.

Two-component ones consist, respectively, of two components stored separately from each other:

• hardener;
• fixative

The components are mixed immediately before use and applied to the surface, where the mixture hardens to form a compound. The basis is epoxy or polyester resins. The seam at home turns out to be very durable. Characteristic feature is that complete hardening takes quite a long time, and the seam gradually increases both strength and fragility.

Hot melt adhesives

This group includes substances that exhibit their properties when heated to 110-120 °C. To use you need a special glue gun With heating element. Differs in precision of application. In addition to plastic, it can be used to glue wood, fabric, and paper together at home.

How to glue plastic tightly at home

After the type of plastic has been determined and the appropriate substance has been selected, you should:

• Thoroughly degrease the surfaces to be bonded. To do this, use alcohol, degreaser or soap solution(only laundry soap);
• To glue objects more reliably, you need to increase wettability. To do this, treat the surface with a velvet file or fine sandpaper;
• Mix two-component reactive substances only after completing the preparation of parts;
• do not use brushes with natural bristles;
• Apply enough adhesive so that when pressing the workpieces, the excess is not squeezed out beyond the gluing zone.

The parts should be pressed so as to prevent their displacement in the gluing plane relative to each other.

How to achieve maximum effect when gluing plastic parts

So that gluing plastic at home gives maximum effect, follows:

• accurately determine the material and select the appropriate adhesive for it;
• carefully follow the instructions for use;
• wait for the required time for the seam to gain strength and do not try to use the product ahead of time;
• for outdoor use or for items used in high humidity, you need to choose a waterproof brand;
• despite the declared heat resistance of the adhesive, the parts themselves may not survive this temperature;
• If there is no marking on the product, then you can try dropping a drop of adhesive in an inconspicuous place and see if the material dissolves.

Epoxy glue produces one of the strongest bonds and is compatible with many types of plastics.

What affects the reliability of gluing

The reliability of the seam is influenced by a number of conditions. All of them are important, and failure to comply with any one can lead to the fact that what is glued at home will fall off, despite compliance with all the others. So:

1. Compliance of the product material and adhesive composition.
2. Correspondence of the type of adhesive composition to the magnitude of the forces that the connection will experience. The direction of these efforts is equally important. Thus, compounds that produce rigid seams are not suitable for repairing, for example, shoes - after all, the sole will bend and twist during use, despite the fact that the tensile force will be small. At the same time, this composition can successfully glue, say, a hook to glass, and hang tens of kilograms on it.
3. Compliance with application technology. Everything is important here - how many seconds or minutes the surfaces need to be compressed, and how to degrease them, and how long to keep the parts pressed against each other. All this depends on the properties of a particular “plastic-glue” pair, is described in detail in the instructions and must be followed verbatim. A deviation of a second in the exposure time or premature start of use of the product can lead to secondary failure.
4. Mechanical part of the process. It is important to thoroughly clean the surface from dust and roughen it. In addition, the direction of pressing the parts against each other must be perpendicular to the surfaces being glued. You should not allow the parts to move mutually after pressing - this will also lead to failure.

Gluing plastic tightly is not so easy. Carefully following simple rules by the home craftsman will allow you to obtain strong and durable connections. The main thing is not to forget about safety precautions: do not inhale vapors of the adhesive and do not allow it to get into food, skin or mucous membranes. If accidentally swallowed, consult a doctor immediately, making sure to take the tube with you.

To repair a plastic item yourself at home, you need to find out what kind of plastic it is made of. First of all, this depends on technical means, suitable in a particular case. A broken children's toy can sometimes be repaired using a soldering iron, and it is better to glue a radio key with a chemical solvent, a celluloid box can be restored with pear essence, and a broken carbolite ashtray can be restored with MOMENT OR BF-2 glue.

Despite the huge variety of plastics, they can be divided into two main groups: thermosetting and thermoplastic. The former cannot be softened, melted, or reshaped. In this respect, they are similar to pottery: by no means can a fired clay jug be turned into a flower pot, and vice versa, if they break, they can only be glued together. Plug sockets and plugs, electrical sockets, telephone housings, cameras and many other products and parts are often made from thermosetting plastic, in particular from carbolite. As a rule, these products are black or brown. Another type of thermosetting plastic - aminoplasts can be painted in any color, including white. These plastics are used to make dishes, buttons, perfume boxes, clothes clips, etc.

If handled carelessly, products made from thermosetting plastics may break or crack. They can be restored using MOMENT OR BF-2 or BF-4 glue. It must be borne in mind that strong bonding will only be achieved if the pieces being joined at the fracture sites are immaculately cleaned of dust, dirt and especially grease and oil stains. Before gluing, the fracture should be thoroughly washed with warm soapy water.

The glue is applied to a completely dry surface in two thin layers. The first layer should dry enough so that the glue does not stick to your finger. Then apply a second layer, dry for 1-2 minutes and connect the pieces exactly along the break. Same as gluing wooden products, the parts must be pressed tightly together, placing them, if possible, under a press or tying them with strong twine (Fig. 1, A). At room temperature, press drying lasts 3-4 days. Do not try to speed up drying by heating the seam, for example over an electric stove, this will only delay drying as a film will form on the glue.

Rice. 1. Repair of plastic products: A - gluing products made of thermosetting plastic; B - repair of a thermoplastic plastic product using a soldering iron; B - gluing the key with a solvent.

Thermoplastic plastics, unlike thermoset plastics, soften when exposed to heat and are dissolved by certain solvents. This group includes, in particular, one of the oldest plastics - celluloid. It is used to make stationery pens, rulers, soap dishes, combs, eyeglass frames, film, toys and many other things. This plastic has considerable strength and good resistance to water, but it is extremely flammable. Recently, celluloid (nitrocellulose) has been increasingly replaced by cellulose acetate. The latter is not flammable and at the same time is in no way inferior to nitrocellulose in other properties. Both of these plastics dissolve well in acetone.

The thermoplastic polystyrene is widely used in everyday life. It is used to make cheap and very beautiful haberdashery items, vases that look like crystal, colored toilet boxes, brooches, combs, and children's toys. It dissolves well in dichloroethane and chloroform, less so in acetone. Durable thermoplastic - polyethylene. This translucent milky material can also be painted. Due to the absolute harmlessness of polyethylene for a living organism, bottles, cups, rinsers, buckets, baby baths, etc. are made from it. Under normal conditions, it is not dissolved by organic substances.

The fact that thermoplastics melt under heat and dissolve in vigorous solvents is used in repairs. A crack in a polystyrene product can sometimes be repaired using a heated soldering iron: having connected the parts tightly, a soldering iron is drawn along the fracture line, and the plastic is “welded” (Fig. 1, B). You need to be careful to disturb the glossy, smooth surface of the product as little as possible. After welding, the seam is sanded and polished.

A broken celluloid item is glued with acetone or pear essence, wetting the fractures until the plastic softens. Then the parts are compressed and kept in this state until the solvent has completely evaporated. And if, for example, the band switch key in the radio receiver has bounced off, it is enough to drop one or two drops of dichloroethane into the hole of the key so that it sticks to the switch leg (Fig. 1, B).

By the way, a solution of thermoplastic plastic in the solvent acting on it serves good glue for a given plastic, and sometimes other materials. For example, a solution of celluloid in acetone (celluloid glue) glues not only nitrocellulose, but also paper, cardboard, wood, fabric, and leather. To prepare such glue, 1 part by weight of celluloid sawdust is dissolved in 2-3 parts of acetone. The glue must be kept in a container with a tight stopper. Celluloid can be obtained by removing the emulsion from film film. This glue is commercially known as “Hercules”.

Plastic has many advantages, but it also has one significant drawback - fragility. Plastic products can crack, break, pieces can break off, etc. If the damage is significant, then it is easier to throw away the item and buy a new one than to repair it, but minor damage can be easily repaired with your own hands. Plastic recovery can be carried out different methods, the choice of which largely depends on the type of plastic itself. On many plastic products you can find markings with the composition of the plastic and this will help in choosing a restoration technology. So, thermosets are glued using a special glue, and thermoplastics are sealed. Also repair method plastic products It also depends on the nature of the damage - crack, scratch, chip, etc.

When repairing plastic items, you may need following materials and tools: solvents (eg acetone), sanding paper No. 1000, soldering iron or glue for plastic, clamps, abrasive paste, brushes or syringe, solder, plastic cleaner, brass mesh, primer and paint for plastic, grinder, varnish

Repairing plastic with glue

• Before restoration begins, the plastic is treated with sanding paper to remove dirt. It is also necessary to degrease the gluing area.
• Glue is applied to the crack or seam using a brush or syringe. If necessary, parts of the plastic for gluing can be reinforced with fiberglass.
• Next, combine the parts so that they do not move and at the same time press tightly against each other. For best result you can use a clamp.

Repairing plastic using soldering

Repairing plastic with epoxy resin

For this method you will need epoxy resin and hardener, fiberglass or sickle tape (sold in hardware stores), acetone, castor oil, a file and sanding paper, electrical tape or tape, plastic dishes and wooden sticks, primer for plastic, polyester putty, auto enamel.