Characterization and Degradation of Viton Fuel Hose Exposed to Blended Diesel and Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel

Abstract

Degradation and material incompatibility between biodiesel and fuel system are the major concern associated with the adoption of biodiesel. In this research, effects of different mixture of waste cooking oil biodiesel/diesel blends (B10, B20 and B40) were investigated on the basic fuel properties such as density, kinematic viscosity (KV), flash point (FP), pour point (PP), cloud point (PP), freezing point (FRP) and sulphur content (SC). Viton fuel hose exposed to different fuel of types and their degradation characteristics, total acid number and change in the surface morphology were studied. It was found that density, KV, FP, FRP, CP and PP increased while SC decreased with increasing biodiesel content in the blends. The biodiesel concentration was noticed to affect the properties of elastomers, causing swelling of Viton fuel hose. The exposure of Viton fuel hose to fuel types of increasing biodiesel content led to reductions in tensile strength, harness and compressive strength.

Keywords

• degradation
• Viton hose
• biodiesel
• hardness
• compressive strength
• swelling