This study will highlight the effects of sequential fuel transitions from ethanol fuel blends to neat gasoline fuel on the performance of polymeric materials subjected to static loading at room temperature. The compatibility of five elastomeric materials and one thermoplastic material are assessed by swelling, hardness and compression-set measurements. The study indicated that the volumetric swell of all elastomers subjected to ethanol exposure under static load conditions is found to increase as the amount of gasoline in ethanol blends is increased. The swelling of elastomers exposed to ethanol blends was observed to be more than that of neat fuel systems. Polymer A, Polymer B and Polymer D1 were determined to offer the best hardness retention and least volumetric swell upon exposure to both neat fuel systems and sequential transition of fuel systems under static loading conditions.

Subject
Immersion tests, Materials, Compression, Materials performance, Leaching, Liquids, Polymers, Fluids, Swelling, Elastomers, Immersion, Ethanol, Hardness
Keywords:
elastomers, ethanol, gasoline blends, swelling, hardness, compression-set
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2010
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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