AN ANALYSIS OF ELECTRO-MELTING AND HOT ELEMENT WELDING METHODS’ SAFETY USED TO JOIN PE NATURAL GAS PIPES

Year 2013, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 493 - 504, 01.12.2013

Adnan Akkurt

Abstract

Use of natural gas as an eco-friendly and user-friendly fuel increases day by day, in parallel to developments in
industry and need for comfort. The common use of natural gas arouses interest about gas transfer and joining of pipes in
order to install gas pipe lines. In this study, two methods to join PE plastic pipes are compared: electro-melting welding and
hot element (butt) welding methods. Tests are applied in order to measure the leaktightness and strength properties of the
joined pipes in ambient conditions similar to actual working conditions. Results of the standardized tests are compared.
Consequently, electro-melting welding is found to be the ideal method for pipes of certain diameters. However, for main
transfer line pipes (of larger diameters), hot butt welding gave more successful results.

Keywords

Plastic pipe welding, Electro-melting (Electrofusion), Hot butt welding, PE pipe welding, PE pipe welding safety

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