SBR elastomer response to renewable diesel blends: An experimental investigation

Abstract

To investigate the impact of Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) exposure to renewable fuels during handling and storage processes, compatibility tests were conducted on three different renewable fuel mixtures: 30% biodiesel, 40% biodiesel, and 30% biodiesel + 10% hydrogenated vegetable oil. These tests involved static immersion experiments conducted at room temperature for a duration of 1000 h, following the ASTM D471 standards. Before and after the immersion tests, the physical properties and visually assessed elastomers concentrations were investigated by varying the SBR content. Additionally, the post-immersion fuel properties were examined. The results showed that mass and volume swelling increased with the SBR-to-bound sulfur ratio. Enhanced mechanical strength was observed, particularly in cases with medium SBR content, which correlated with higher carbon black concentrations. The increasingly subtle morphological appearance was also captured via SEM. After immersion, fuel characterization showed that parameters such as acid number and water content remained stable without significant alterations.