Patent ID: 7390377

Claim:
A method for bonding thermoplastic parts, comprising the steps of: (a) immersing mating surfaces of two or more thermoplastic parts in a binary solution comprising a first liquid hydrocarbon compound (diluent) and a second liquid hydrocarbon compound (permeant) miscible in the first liquid hydrocarbon compound, wherein a portion of the permeant penetrates and is retained within a thickness of each of the mating surfaces; (b) removing the two or more thermoplastic parts from the binary solution; (c) rinsing the mating surfaces with an alcohol and blow drying the mating surfaces with nitrogen; (d) stacking and aligning the two or more thermoplastic parts, wherein the mating surfaces form one or more bonding interfaces having one of more peripheral seams; (e) applying a tape seal over each of the one or more peripheral bond seams; (f) heating and applying an axial pressure load to the stacked thermoplastic parts for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to promote bonding between the mating surfaces thereby providing a bonded structure; and (g) cooling the bonded structure and removing the axial pressure load.