Petro­
Seal
TM
for
Ultra­
low
Fuel
Permeation
Evaporative
EPA
Emissions
from
Boat
Fuel
Systems
Ron
Partridge
ARKEMA
Inc.

Philadelphia,
PA
215­
419­
7874
Rotomolding
Basics

Normal
Single
Layer
Tank

PE
Powder
+
Mold
+
Oven
=
Complex
Shape
Mono­
wall
Tank

Normal
Two
Layer
Tank

PE
Powder
+
Mold
+
(
PA11
Powder
+
Drop
Box)
+
Oven
=

Complex
Dual
Layer
Tank
(
PE
outer
layer,
PA11
inner
layer)


"
One
Shot"
Two
Layer
Tank

PE
Powder
+
PA11
Powder
+
Mold
+
Oven
=
Complex
Dual
Layer
Tank
(
PE
outer
layer,
PA11
inner
layer)
Petro­
Seal
Concept

Rilsan
Polyamide
11
(
inner
layer)


Excellent
resistance
to
fuel
C
permeation

Used
in
current
multi­
layer
automotive
fuel
tanks

Tough
impact
resistant
engineering
polymer,
185
C
Melting
Point

Is
a
dimensionally
stable
PA
and
molds
easy
like
PE

More
expensive
than
PE

Metallocene
PE
(
outer
layer)


Excellent
resistance
to
alcohol
permeation

Tough,
impact
resistant
polymer,
120
C
Melting
Point

Relatively
low
cost
and
molds
easy

Petro­
Seal
Two
Layer
Tank

Both
polymers
are
modified
to
adhere
to
one
another

The
result
is
a
very
low
permeation
system
(
Fuel
C
and
CE10)
and
a
tough,
lower
cost
tank

Adhesion
is
important
to
ensure
the
structural
rigidity
of
the
tank
and
to
enable
post
molding
operations
like
drilling,
tapping,
inserts,
etc.


Arkema
will
supply
this
system!
Existing
Major
Applications
for
Polyamide
11

Hydrocarbon
Containment

Hot
oils

Hydraulic
fluid

Fuel
(
Passes
low
permeation
requirements
of
EPA/
CARB)


Coolant
Overflow

Military
&
Aerospace
Ducts

Commercial
aerospace
usually
FR
Rilsan
Roto
11
Black
Tanks
Excellent
Impact
Resistance
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
50
Impact
Strength
(
KJ/
m
²
)
RILSAN
RILSAN
PC
PA
6­
10
PA
6
PA
6.6
PBT
POM
PA11
PA12
PA11
is
superior
to
all
other
nylons
and
engineering
resins
in
toughness
FLUID
RESISTANCE
PROPERTIES
34.3
2.1
Hydraulic
fluid,
permeability
80
°
C,
gm/
m2/
day
110
0.9
Toluene
at
40C
gm/
mm­
m2/
day
8
(
XLPE)

<
0.8
(
4mm)

Equilibrium
Fuel
CE10
at
28C,
gm/
m2/
day
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Water
Gasoline
Diesel
Hydraulic
Fluid
Roto
11/
BRN
P40
HDPE
 
PERMEABILITY
:

 
IMMERSION
IN
FLUIDS
:

Wt
gain
(%)
PA
11
PE
Adhesion
Properties
No
Adhesion
Good
Adhesion
Specialty
PA11
Target
Markets
for
Technology

Target
Applications

Marine
Fuel
Tanks

Lawn
and
Garden
Tanks

Agricultural
Equipment

SORE
(
small
off­
road
equipment)


Benefits
of
this
Technology

Tanks
do
not
have
to
be
re­
designed,
current
molds
can
be
used,
thus
saving
money.


Low
Permeation
Cost
Effective
Fuel
Tank

Meets
the
future
lowest
permeation
requirements
today

Two
Component
System
with
Excellent
Adhesion

Critical
to
ensure
low
permeation
especially
to
alcohol
containing
fuels.


No
loss
of
adhesion
or
de­
lamination
when
tank
is
drilled,
tapped
or
when
mechanical
inserts
are
installed.
Petro­
Seal
Two­
Layer
Fuel
Tanks
for
Permeation
Testing
Tanks
supplied
by
Solar
Plastics
Permeation
Testing
for
EPA
Fuel
Tanks
Petro­
Seal
TM
and
XLPE
Tanks
Fuel
CE10
at
28
C
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Days
Permeation
(

g/

m2/

day)
Petro­
Seal
TM
XLPE
2x2
Permeation
Testing
for
CARB
"
SORE"
Tanks
Petro­
SealTM
and
XLPE
Tanks
Fuel
C
at
40
C
­
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Days
Permeation
(

g/

m2/

day)
Petro­
Seal
TM
XLPE
2x2
Marine
Fuel
Tank
Developments

Testing
done
by
Imanna
Labs
according
to
ISO
10088,
USCG
33
CFR
183.59,
ABYC
H­
24

Testing
benchmark
was
XLPE
currently
used
for
marine
fuel
tanks

Petro­
Seal
tanks
meet
the
requirements
for
mechanical
strength
specified
by
the
NMMA,
ISO,

ABYC,
and
USCG
for
permanently
installed
fuel
tanks.


Original
fire
resistance
tests
failed
at
2
minutes

Recent
tests
with
newer
technology
passes
the
fire
resistance
test
Conclusions
for
Petro­
Seal
TM
Technology
for
Fuel
Tanks

Excellent
Tank
Performance

Consistently
high
levels
of
adhesion
for
tank
integrity

Typically
>
20
N/
cm
peel
strength

Easily
meets
fuel
permeation
required
by
EPA
and
CARB

Produces
tough
and
ductile
tanks

Has
been
shown
to
pass
the
USCG
fuel
tank
tests,
including
the
fire
test.


Rotomolding
Process
(
uses
existing
molds)


Two­
Layer
molding
process
well
understood

Drop
box
or
manual
method
works

Initial
molding
trials
for
a
 
One­
Shot 
process
are
very
encouraging

Costs

Cost/
performance
optimized
based
on
PA11
and
PE
layer
thickness
Thanks

Solar
Plastics
Inc.
for
supplying
the
permeation
test
tanks
and
the
ten
gallon
marine
fuel
tanks

Imanna
Labs
for
marine
fuel
tank
testing
and
quick
responsive
service

IBEX
and
NMMA
for
organizing
this
seminar
