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Plastic pipe for compressed air lines.

To: british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Plastic pipe for compressed air lines.
From: wbrown@csg.lbl.gov (Bill Brown)
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 94 07:49:04 PST
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 94 11:26:29 CST
From: mburdick@unmc.edu (Mike Burdick)
Subject: Re:  Re[2]: Air Compressor Questions

   > DON't use PVC for compressed air!!  It's not rated for that high of a
   > pressure

> PPVC can commonly by found in 200psi or 315psi ratings.

This was kicked around in rec.metalworking a while back.

I once saw a safety memo "for internal use only"!! from some part of the
mechanical engineering department and EH&S here at LBL.  As best as I can
recall, plastic (PVC, ABS, etc) pipe should not be used for compressed gas
line for the following reason.

If a pin-hole developes, either in a glued joint or in the pipe itself,
the escaping gas gets _very_ cold, due to the fact that it is expanding.
This lowers the temperature of the plastic pipe, which weakens and
embrittles it, leading to sudden catastrophic failure.

I don't know what the manufacturers would say, but the warning made sense
to me.  I ain't about to put any plastic air lines in my garage, but it's a
free country.  And your mileage may vary.

And I never said any of the above!

Disclaimer:  These opinions are my own and have     |
    nothing to do with the official policy or the   |  -bill
    management of L.B.L, who probably couldn't      |   wlbrown@lbl.gov
    care less about employees who play with trains. |


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