AHowever, this problem has an easy solution. You can solvent bond flexible PVC to rigid PVC pipe quite easily. Normally, PVC pipe cement is a mixture of THF (tetrahydrofuran) mixed with dissolved PVC pipe resin (and a few other chemicals to slow the reaction). The main ingredient is THF. That is the same solvent used to weld flexible PVC liner materials. Using THF to weld rigid to flexible PVC is a fairly common procedure. Make sure all the pieces are pre-cut and fit together. Slide a THF laden brush between the surface of the liner and the pipe you want to weld. A little roller pressure and it should set up nicely.
For pipe protrusions, always back up a chemical seal with a mechanical seal, so a band clamp on the pipe to hold everything in place is recommended.
Q: Is chlorine, the raw material used to make PVC toxic - since "natural" organochlorides are not known to exist?
A: Numerous instances of natural organochlorides exist. In fact, life itself could not exist without chlorine chemistry.
Q:
Is smoke from the wedge welding process hazardous?
A: The concentration is non-toxic and wedge welding outdoors poses no risk.
Q: Does PVC decompose and create groundwater hazard when it is subjected to landfill leachate?
A: PVC is a highly stable material that is extremely resistant to the aggressive chemical environment found in landfills. Any plasticizers released when PVC is buried under these conditions would constitute minuscule amounts over an extended period of time and thus present no threat to human health or the environment. Forensic studies show the liner to be in excellent condition after 30 years of burial.
Q: Do rats and rodents eat the PVC geomembrane?
A: It is only possible to eat the geomembrane at an edge, fold, or seam onto which the animal can grip. Since PVC geomembranes have 80% less field seams than polyethylene geomembranes, the likelihood of having an edge, fold, or seam is significantly less. However, it is important to note the following information about PVC geomembranes: (1) they possess no compounds that have any food or nutritional value to rats and rodents, (2) the materials are not addictive, and (3) the reason for an animal eating through a geomembrane is probably to obtain access to the other side for food, warmth, or some other reason.
Q: Is PVC environmentally "friendly"?
A: Not only does PVC outlast and outperform many competitive materials, but because 50 percent of its base polymer comes from common salt, an inexpensive, renewable resource, it is also much preferred to materials that rely 100 percent on petrochemical feedstocks and those that deplete forests or ore reserves.
* Information provided by the Vinyl Institute, A Division of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
