Pipe coupling and use thereof

A pipe coupling for securing end portions of a pair of thermoplastic pipe elements together end-to-end, the pipe coupling comprising:

• a first half-shell and a second half-shell each having a pivoting end and a connecting end opposite the pivoting end, the first half-shell and the second half-shell each defining a central space for receiving the pair of thermoplastic pipe elements, each one of the half-shells comprising a pair of contact surfaces facing the central space, each of the contact surfaces being engageable with a respective one of the thermoplastic pipe elements after application of a welding solvent to the contact surfaces and/or to an external surface of the thermoplastic pipe elements;
• a pivot attachment pivotally connecting the half-shells to one another at the pivoting ends and enabling the half-shells to pivot with respect to one another between a closed state in which the connecting ends contact each other and an open state in which the connecting ends are apart from one another;
• a first connector positioned at the connecting end of the first half-shell;
• and
• a second connector positioned at the connecting end of the second half-shell, the first connector and the second connector being complimentary to one another and connectable to each other when the half-shells are in the closed state to maintain the half-shells in the closed state and enable the welding solvent to sealably weld the contact surfaces and the pipe elements together.