Long-term performance of polyamide-based multilayer (bio)diesel fuel lines aged under “in-vehicle” conditions

The behaviour of a polyamide (PA)-based multilayer fuel pipe was investigated in “close to real” conditions using specially-designed ageing equipment with a program designed according to known customer driving modes and conditions (a key life test). The pipe was exposed to petroleum diesel and a combination of petroleum diesel and biodiesel. The fuel exposure pattern, as well as the temperature profile, followed a specified scheme in the key life test. It allowed for the investigation and understanding of complex ageing mechanisms, often observed in multi-layer systems with a variation in the running conditions. The mechanisms involved included migration of plasticizer from the innermost PA6 layer of the pipe to the fuel, and from the PA12 outer layer to the ambient air. At the same time, fuel was absorbed in the inner layer of the pipe. The oxidation of the innermost PA6 layer was promoted by the oxidation products of biodiesel. The diffusion-limited oxidation of the PA6 layer led to the formation of a 30 μm highly oxidized zone at the inner surface of the pipe, resulting in discoloration and oxidative crosslinking of the polymer. The toughness and extensibility of the pipe decreased significantly after prolonged ageing, and the extensibility was only 7% of that of the unaged pipe after 2230 h.