The Effect of Fuel Components and Standard Test Fuels on the Mechanical Properties and Glass Transition Temperatures of Polymers used in Multi-Layer Fuel Line Tubing

With the advent of more stringent legislation for fuel and fuel vapor emissions from vehicles, it has been necessary to introduce a barrier polymer into the fuel line as a means of reducing emissions. This paper investigates the changes in mechanical properties, such as tensile modulus, of a range of plasticized nylons, tie layer polymer systems and fluoropolymers which were immersed in various mixtures of fuel components and standard fuels at a temperature of 25 ⁰ C. The percentage mass uptake and extent of swelling were also determined in addition to changes in glass transition temperature up to a period of 31 weeks.