Graduation Year

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.M.S.E.

Degree Name

MS in Materials Science and Engineering (M.S.M.S.E)

Degree Granting Department

Chemical Engineering

Major Professor

Venkat Bhethanabotla, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Manoj K. Ram, Ph.D.

Committee Member

John Kuhn, Ph.D.

Keywords

Geosynthetics, Accelerated Agings, Hydraulic Structure

Abstract

High density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane is most common geomembrane which is mainly used for civil engineering applications. However, HDPE geomembrane loses its properties under oxidative degradation progress. This study aims to assess geomembranes which have different percentage of phenolic antioxidant and hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) with under the six months of the thermal-oxidative degradation. The interactions between phenolic antioxidant, HALS and carbon black can affect the mechanical, physical and chemical properties. To monitor these properties, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), Melt Index tests, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Tensile tests are evaluated for geomembrane samples.

The study has shown that the performance of geomembrane changes positively and negatively depending on the percentage of antioxidants and size of carbon black. The increase in the percentage of antioxidants inversely has affected the performance of geomembranes. The small size particles of carbon black with antioxidants have shown appreciable yield, break strength and elongation whereas the carbon black has shown antagonistic effects with phenolic antioxidant and HALS based materials.

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