Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Permeation of gasoline through DI pipe gaskets in water mains

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2012

Abstract

Sorption tests and pipe-drum experiments were conducted to study permeation of monoaromatic compounds in gasoline through five polymeric materials used in ductile-iron (DI) pipe gaskets. Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) had the highest sorption of premium gasoline, and fluoroelastomer rubber had the lowest. A comparison of gaskets' heel and bulb portions found that the heel sorbed less gasoline, suggesting greater resistance to permeation. Pipe-drum experiments showed that the order of breakthrough of benzene-toluene-ethylbenzene-xylene compounds for gaskets exposed to premium gasoline was EPDM > chloroprene rubber ≈ styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) > nitrile rubber (NBR). For DI pipes with SBR gaskets exposed to premium gasoline, the benzene concentration after 8 h of stagnation exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL). With typical water flow rates in pipes, the estimated benzene concentration did not exceed the MCL. If pipes are to be installed in gasoline-saturated groundwater, NBR gaskets are preferred over SBR gaskets.

Comments

© 2012 American Water Works Association

Publication Title

Journal AWWA

DOI

10.5942/jawwa.2012.104.0052

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