Investigation of the Durability of Gaskets in Contact with Bio- and Aviation Fuels

Abstract

Care for the natural environment, which can be observed in the tightening of emission standards, has enforced the search for new fuels, especially renewable sources of natural origin. The article presents the results of theoretical and experimental considerations on the impact of aviation biofuels on the materials used for sealing flange joints. The fuel type selected for the test is compatible with aviation fuels. Fuels have been enriched with a bio-additive that changes the technical and physical properties of the fuel. The tested gaskets were made of soft, aramid-elastomeric materials that were flat in shape and without reinforcement. Their commercial names are AFO and AFM. Tests were carried out with the use of a simple flange joint with a fuel reservoir at 373 K. Both fuel loss and the pressure drop on the gasket were measured during a 1000 h period of time. The experiments showed that the seals preserved the technical parameters in the presence of the tested fuels. The fuel loss did not exceed the accepted limits, which demonstrates the suitability of the tested materials for utilization with new types of fuel. However, no unequivocal conclusions can be drawn about the positive or negative impact of bio-additives on the sealing material due to the fact that both an improvement and deterioration in tightness under certain circumstances were observed. Based on the experimental data, a mathematical model was proposed that makes it possible to predict the service life of the gaskets in flange joints in contact with the investigated types of fuel. The potential application of the research results is practical information about the impact of biofuel on the gasket, and hence the information about the possibility of using traditional sealing materials in a new application—for sealing installations for the production, transmission and storage of biofuels.