Effect of Surface Fluorination on Diffusion through a High Density Polyethylene Geomembrane
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 6
Abstract
The relative improvement of the diffusive barrier function of high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when subjected to surface fluorination is experimentally examined. The surface fluorination consisted of applying elemental fluorine, which exchanged with hydrogen along polymer chains at the surface of a polyolefin substrate. Sorption and diffusion tests were performed on both traditional “untreated” and “fluorinated” HDPE geomembranes using dilute aqueous organic contaminants commonly found in municipal solid waste leachate. The partitioning coefficient is shown to remain essential the same after the surface fluorination; however, the surface fluorination resulted in a reduction in both the diffusion and the permeation coefficients by factors ranging between 1.5 and 4.5, depending on the hydrocarbon examined. Modeling of VOC diffusion through a geomembrane/compacted clay composite liner indicated that contaminant impacts were about 1.7–2.9 times lower when a fluorinated geomembrane is used. To achieve the same level of protection as provided by the fluorinated geomembrane underlain by of compacted clay, one would need an additional of compacted clay in conjunction with a conventional (untreated) geomembrane. The importance of the thickness of the treated layer is highlighted.
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Acknowledgments
The study was supported in part by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Center for Research in Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech). The writers acknowledge Dr. Ross Davidson and Dr. Stewart McIntyre of Surface Science Western, for arranging the SEM/EDX test used to obtain the thickness of the fluorinated layers. The writers would also thank Fluoro-Seal Inc. for providing the geomembranes tested and Mr. Mark W. Cadwallader of Cadwallader Technical Services for his assistance in securing the geomembrane samples.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 6 • June 2005
Pages: 694 - 704
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 3, 2003
Accepted: Sep 10, 2004
Published online: Jun 1, 2005
Published in print: Jun 2005
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