Weld (join)

Description

A junction of a thermoplastic materials (metal or plastic) sealed with heat and pressure. A weld join can be made with the high heat produced by: 1) an oxyacetylene torch, 2) an electric arc, 3) electrical resistance, 4) ultrasonic vibrations or 5) an electron beam. In ancient times, metals were welded using gold or silver solder. Later forge welding was used by blacksmiths to heat and hammer metals together.

Synonyms and Related Terms

soudure (Fr.); Schweißung (Deut.); soldadura (Esp.); soldadura (junta soldada) (Port.)

Resources and Citations

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• David C. Scott, Metallography and Microstructure of Ancient and Historic Metals, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 1991

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998