DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL OF THE DEGRADATION OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYOXYMETHYLENE (POM) IN THE PRESENCE OF BIODIESEL

Abstract: This project analyses the impact in the mechanical properties of Polyoxymethylene (POM) of three different blends of biodiesels: B0 with 0% of Rapeseed Methyl-ester (RME), B20 with 20% of RME and B100 with 100% of RME. Polyoxymethylene specimens have been subjected to an accelerated aging during 1600 hours at 85ºC. This is the equivalent to 20 years of life time. In addition, a thermal oxidation in air at the same temperature has been performed to check the impact of the temperature in the final degradation.Three different methods have been performed to calculate the diffusion rate, however and one of them has been selected for its reliable results. The second Fick´s law have been chosen to model the diffusion. The diffusion rate has been calculated for the B20 and B100 blend due to the B0 blend has a non-constant diffusion rate. B20 shows also some divergence while B100 fits the Fickian behaviour.A Finite Different approximation method has been used to predict the concentration profiles of the diffusion process of B20 blend. They have been compared with the results of the IR Microscope, with a clear misalignment between the expected and the actual values.Tensile tests have been done in different stages of the test to check the stress-strain behaviour of the specimens for each aging type. The most relevant parameter of degradation is the Elongation At Break (EAB), which decrease considerably a cause of the embrittlement. A study of the real stress-strain has been also done to assure the real behaviour of the material.A fracture surface study through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Light Microscope has been done to assure the brittle behaviour with the aging and the changes in the structure of the material.The swelling behaviour has been also modelled, and the bases for a future FEM analysis have been exposed.