Effects of Thickness on the Aging of HDPE Geomembranes
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 2
Abstract
The results of an accelerated aging test program to evaluate the effect of thickness on the depletion of antioxidants from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes and subsequent degradation of the physical properties are reported. Three commercially available HDPE geomembranes having nominal thicknesses of 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm were examined. The geomembranes were immersed in a synthetic leachate at 85, 70, 55, and and tested for oxidative induction time, crystallinity, melt index (MI), tensile properties, and stress-crack resistance. The antioxidant depletion rate for the 1.5 mm geomembrane was faster than for the 2.0 and 2.5 mm geomembranes. Antioxidant depletion time was predicted at representative landfill temperatures of using Arrhenius modeling and was found to increase with geomembrane thickness for the three geomembranes examined. Based on the results of crystallinity, MI, and stress-crack resistance, the degradation of the geomembrane was slowest for the thickest geomembrane. These results suggest that a thicker geomembrane may have a longer service life (other things being equal).
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Acknowledgments
The funding of this research was provided by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Ontario Ministry of Environment. The writers are thankful to their industrial partners, Solmax International, Terrafix Geosynthetics Inc., Ontario Ministry of Environment, Gartner Lee Ltd., AMEC Earth and Environmental, Golder Associates Ltd., and CTT group. The writers are especially grateful to Solmax International, Varennes, Quebec, for donating the geomembrane tested in this study.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 2 • February 2010
Pages: 299 - 309
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
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Received: Sep 17, 2008
Accepted: Jul 26, 2009
Published online: Aug 1, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2010
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