Long-term effect of diesel degradation on polyoxymethylene at different temperatures

Diesel is an important fuel, partly because of the longevity and cleanliness of diesel engines. Often, polymers are in direct contact with diesel and understanding compatibility is critical. Polyoxymethylene (POM) is a thermoplastic used to manufacture automotive fuel pump gears and rotors due to its low coefficient of friction and thermal and dimensional stability. In this study, tensile tests were performed on plain and glass fiber reinforced (POM and POMGF) after immersion in diesel at different temperatures (-10 degrees C, 23 degrees C, and 60 degrees C) for 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, and 10 000 hour. A mathematical model was developed using data from just three tensile stress-strain curves obtained at two different fluid temperatures and three different immersion times. Model and experimental results show good agreement with one another for all conditions tested.

Automated summary

Diesel is an important fuel due to the longevity and cleanliness of diesel engines. Understanding compatibility of polymers with diesel is crucial, especially with materials like polyoxymethylene (POM) used in automotive components. This study conducted tensile tests on plain and glass fiber reinforced POM after immersion in diesel at different temperatures and times, developing a mathematical model that showed good agreement with experimental results.