Evaluation of the Chemical Resistance of Geotextiles, Geonet and Pipe

摘要

The overall objective of the project was to provide a technological base for determining the chemical resistance and long-term durability of geotextiles, geonet and pipe with waste solutions representative of those to which the products might be exposed in a waste containment facility. Experiments were performed to evaluate proposed testing procedures based on EPA Method 9090 with modifications to accommodate geotextiles, geonets and pipe. Analytical techniques standard to the chemical sciences were employed to study chemical degradation of selected geosynthetics. These results were compared to physical property data. Melt index, Method E of polypropylene geotextile was an effective index test. For PET geotextile, grab strength and permittivity yielded useful data. Elongation at break was found to be an acceptable index test for high density polyethylene geonet. Additionally, it was concluded that further work was needed for establishing index tests for pipe products. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was applied and found to require expertise in sample preparation and interpretation since accepted evaluation criteria are lacking. Thermal methods provided a limited amount of useful data. Finally, it was concluded that although chemical analyses provide precise data, not all available methods are applicable to all materials.