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Re: Welding teflon (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 20:55:44 +0100
From: Steve Rodway <Legion-at-legion-elec.demon.co.uk>
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: Welding teflon (fwd)

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 12:46:57 -0700
> From: Eric Davidson <edavidson-at-icva.gov>
> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: Welding teflon
> 
> Hi all:
> 
> Im not sure if Teflon can be welded, since it doesn't really melt, I
> doubt it can. It will begin to gel at about 325 C and will revert to the
> monomer (tertafluoroethylene) at about 400 C.  The alleged poison gas
> released would be carbonyl fluoride.  Since this gas is readily
> hydrolyzed, it would form HF and CO in a moist place like the lungs.
> However, pyrolysis is required to form carbonyl fluoride, so unless you
> try to use a blowtorch to weld it there shouldn't be much of a problem.
> The release of monomer should not be taken too lightly.  There have been
> poorly characterized, mostly anecdotal reports of 'fume fevers' arising
> from breathing around hot (>300C) teflon. I would say that whatever you
> try to do welding wise, you do with plenty of ventilation. Hope this
> helps.
	I have personally managed to achive a weld in telfon useing a V.large
(150W) soldering iron which was temperature controlled to 350C, the
welding process was very difficult, and required considerable pressure,
but it is possible.  This was some time ago, but I do seem to remember
getting a funny smell off the telfon, but that could just have been a
residue on the iron. In any case, better safe than sorry, so the
sugestion of good ventilation seems a wise idea.
-- 
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