STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF FAM B (TEST FUEL) ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AN AUTOMOTIVE POLYMER FROM THE POLYAMIDE FAMILY (PA)

Since last decades the use of polymers in the automotive industry is rising. They can be found in several systems of a carwith the requirements of the materials employed in agreement with the neededperformance. For polymers in direct contact with fuel, special characteristics are needed, such as the retention of mechanical properties and dimensions. Thus, compatibility tests between polymers and fuels are essential to guarantee a good performace during functioning. FAM B is a common test fuel used to validate the polymers behavior in conditions similar to the ones experienced by the material in application environment. In this paper, the behavior of a 35% glass reinforced polymer from the Polyamide family (PPA) exposed to FAM B at 60°C during 336 hours was studied. Dimensions and mechanical properties were evaluated periodically to observe the evolution of the polymer performace under these conditions. Infrarred spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimety (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) techniques were also employed to complement the study.