METHOD OF JOINING THREADED NON-FERROUS PIPE SECTIONS
A sealing system (10) is provided for composite fabricated pipe sections (12, 14, 16) having threaded connections on the end thereof with said connections being of composite material for use in assembling pipe sections in a piping system. A two component thermoset polysulfide elastomer (20) in the material's flowable unpolymerized state is coated upon the entire area of the connection threads. The pipe sections (12, 14, 16) are then assembled in a normal fashion with the elastomer (20) prepared connectors to produce the sealing system (10). With time, the polysulfide material (20) crosslinks and forms an uncompressed elastomeric seal along the entire helix length of the threaded connection producing pipe sections (12, 14, 16) with threaded connections that possess greater hydrostatic pressure capacities. Without the requirement of compressing the elastomer to form the hydrostatic seal, the sealing system (10) produces effective seals with a wide range of assemblage torques for the interconnection of the pipe sections; ranging from hand tight to power tight engagements of the connections. The sealing system (10) allows the connection of pipe sections (12, 14, 16) with or without the aid of tools. Without a determined interconnection engagement length required to form the seal in the connection, pipe sections may be placed into any rotational positioning to facilitate the assemblage of the piping system. The sealing system also provides the means to seal the connections of pipe sections with adversely damaged threads.