Abstract
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes are polymeric geosynthetic materials usually applied as a liner in environmental facilities due to their good mechanical properties, good welding conditions, and excellent chemical resistance. A geomembrane’s field performance is affected by different conditions and exposures, including ultraviolet radiation, thermal and oxidative exposure, and chemical contact. This article presents an experimental study with a 1.0 mm-thick HDPE virgin geomembrane exposed by the Xenon arc weatherometer for 2160 h and the ultraviolet fluorescent weatherometer for 8760 h to understand the geomembrane’s behavior under ultraviolet exposure. The evaluation was performed using the melt flow index (MFI) test, oxidative-induction time (OIT) tests, tensile test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The sample exposed in the Xenon arc equipment showed a tendency to increase the MFI values during the exposure time. This upward trend may indicate morphological changes in the polymer. The tensile behavior analysis showed a tendency of the sample to lose ductility, without showing brittle behavior. The samples’ OIT test results under both device exposures showed faster antioxidant depletion for the standard OIT test than the high-pressure OIT test. The DSC and FTIR analyses did not demonstrate the polymer’s changes.
Highlights
Published: 26 May 2021Geomembranes are polymeric geosynthetic material used as a barrier in environmental facilities, such as landfills, mining facilities, and leachate ponds
It can be observed that all the functional groups characteristic of the polymer were preserved showing that the exposures carried of out1.0 under different conditions did not cause
The resistance and elongation decrease during the exposure. This manuscript analyzed the behavior of 1.0 mm-thick High-density polyethylene (HDPE) virgin geomembrane time for the UV fluorescent device exposure was, on average, about 30%
Summary
Geomembranes are polymeric geosynthetic material used as a barrier in environmental facilities, such as landfills, mining facilities, and leachate ponds. This product is utilized in waste liquid ponds, water ponds, farm ponds, adduction, and irrigation canals [1,2,3]. An HDPE geomembrane’s field performance is affected by different conditions and exposures, including ultraviolet radiation, thermal and oxidative exposure, and chemical contact. These exposures can change the polyethylene’s morphology, causing a reaction between the polymer chain with the oxygen molecule. Accelerated laboratory tests and exhumed sample evaluations indicate essential responses for the durability issue [5,6,7]
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