Durability of Three HDPE Geomembranes Immersed in Different Fluids at 85°C
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 2
Abstract
The long-term performance of three different high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes (GMBs) is investigated at 85°C using immersion tests. By comparing the degradation behavior of the three GMBs in different synthetic leachates, it is shown that different chemical constituents in the leachate affected different stages of the degradation, with surfactant having the greatest effect on antioxidant depletion (Stage I) and salts having the greatest effect on the degradation after antioxidant depletion (Stages II and III). The magnitude of the effect of these chemical constituents differed from one GMB to another. Thus, for the purpose of comparing the relative long-term performance of the three GMBs for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill applications, the GMBs were immersed in a synthetic leachate (Leachate A), which contained the primary constituents (i.e., salts, volatile fatty acids, surfactant, and trace metals under reduced conditions) present in the leachate from a large MSW landfill leachate located in Canada. At 85°C, the longest antioxidant depletion stage was for the GMB with the highest resistance to antioxidant depletion in Leachate A, even though its initial oxidative induction time values were not the highest of the three GMBs. After antioxidant depletion, the greatest resistance to degradation was for the GMB with the highest initial stress crack resistance and the lowest melt flow ratio.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for the research infrastructure used in this study was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund Award (Project No. 218983). The research was funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (Best-In-Science Project 22) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grant No. 1007). The support of the Killam Trust in the form of a Killam Fellowship to R. K. R. is gratefully acknowledged. The authors gratefully acknowledge the value of many discussions with Dr. Y. G. Hsuan. This investigation into the long-term performance of geosynthetic liner systems is conducted in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment; the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; Solmax International; Terrafix Geosynthetics, Inc.; Terrafix Environmental Technologies, Inc.; TAG Environmental, Inc.; AECOM; AMEC Earth and Environmental; Golder Associates Ltd.; Knight-Piesold; and the CTT Group. The contributions to the overarching project of all those listed previously are greatly appreciated; however, the opinions expressed in the paper are solely those of the authors.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 2 • February 2015
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© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 7, 2014
Accepted: Sep 30, 2014
Published online: Oct 31, 2014
Published in print: Feb 1, 2015
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