I have seen at least one manufacturer advertising a two-component methyl methacrylate (MMA) adhesive product in a cartridge for the bonding of PVC and CPVC pipes. These adhesives will give good adhesive strength on these substrates. In addition, they have wide acceptance in the building industry for applications such as profile bonding. However, there is a long tradition of using solvent cements for plumbing applications; they perform well and are cost effective. The solvent cements are usually brush applied to the surfaces, and they soften and dissolve some of the plastic (known as “solvent welding”).
The major issue with solvent cements is their high volatile organic compound (VOC) content, which is released during their application to the joints. VOCs can cause smog and indoor air pollution and have negative health effects. In recent years, regulations, mainly promulgated by the state of California, have set limits on the VOC content of the cements; these limits will be lowered even further by 2023