All
Purpose Cleaners
Cleaners are designed and
used to remove surface impurities (oil, dirt, etc.) and
surface gloss from plastic pipe and fittings. Cleaners are
of two types, Chemical and Mechanical; they are described
below:
Chemical
Cleaners
Some
Chemical Cleaners Are As Follows:
- Cleaners
recommended by the pipe, fitting, or cement
manufacturers'
- Methyl Ethyl
Ketone (mek) or Acetone (ace)
- Other
solvents recommended by the
manufacturers'
Mechanical
Cleaners
Some
Mechanical Cleaners Are As Follows:
- Fine abrasive
paper or cloth ( 180 grit or finer)
- Clean oil
free steel wool
There exists a common
misunderstanding that if a cleaner is used, a primer is not
required, and vice versa. It is important to note, cleaners
and primers are intended for different functions and are not
interchangeable.
Approved
Primers
Primers are used in pressure
and non-pressure applications with plain end pipe and either
socket-type fittings or bell end pipe. Primers prepare the
surface of pipe and fittings before the application of
solvent cement. The primers effect on the set and cure time
of the joint is dependent on the cement, pipe size,
application method, temperature, and humidity. Unlike all
purpose cleaners primers have little, if any effectiveness
in cleaning grease and other foreign materials from the pipe
and fitting surfaces.
Most primers are organic
liquid with water-like viscosity and should not contain
undissolved particles. Solvent blends or primer formulations
are not specified. However, approved primers must meet or
exceed ASTM F-656 specifications. Approved primers must be
capable of dissolving at least 10% by weight of PVC resin
within 60 minutes as specified in the above listed
specifications. Approved solution must be smooth, nongrainy,
free flowing, should not contain any undissolved resin, and
meet stability requirements. Colorants are added to the
primer for identifications purposes only.
Primer /
Cleaner
Currently there are not
specification approvals for chemical or mechanical cleaners.
However, approved primers must meet or exceed ASTM
performance testing standards. Manufacturers' have developed
Cleaner / Primer formulations, however, NSF does not have
test standards for these products. Therefore, they
are
not approved
and should not carry the specific approval markings. Be
careful, some products may state "Meets
ASTM F 656" and not have
the approvals printed on the products. Always check with
local code bodies before using any unapproved products.
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