Fuel Management
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Fuel Lines
Long chain polyamides like Rilsan® PA11 and Rilsamid® PA12 resins have been used to produce plastic fuel lines for more than 60 years because of their combination of high flexibility, excellent mechanical performance, and outstanding chemical resistance (to fuel but also to metal chlorides used in road salts). Successive regulations have made it mandatory to use barrier layers for gasoline and to introduce biobased content in fuels, which has generated new challenges for fuel lines.
Gasoline
Key application challenges:
- Adhesion with various barrier layers that can be used: Arkema has tremendous know-how in making resins with different polarity stick together and is the only material producer on the market to offer structural tie layers (Rilsan® Tieflex) that allow optimized cost-performance balance multilayer constructions.
- Cleanliness of fuel in order to avoid clogging of sensitive line components like injectors: Rilsan® PA11 is offering unique behavior of low oligomer release, and more generally low extractible components. This material, and the multi-layer tubes using it, allow to comply with the most severe requirements on the market
- Increasing environment temperatures: Engines are getting more efficient & under-the-hood space is decreasing but turning back to heavy & expensive rubber solutions is not mandatory. Rilsan® PA11 offers improved long term heat resistance vs PA12 & a higher high temperature burst pressure (thus safety factor) especially when combined with structural Rilsan® Tieflex.
Solutions:
*All constructions have a conductive version when needed.
| Name | Notes |
| Rilperm® 3020 | Standard PA12 construction when no permeability resistance is required |
Rilperm® 5040 |
Electrcially conductive PA12 construction with good permeability resistance (EVOH) |
| Rilperm® 5340 | High performance EVOH construction (VW, high temperature PA11) with excellent ZnCl2 resistance on all thickness & low washout (extractible) content |
| Rilperm® 5341 | High performance EVOH construction (VW, high temperature PA11), electrically conductive, with excellent ZnCl2 resistance on all thickness & low washout (extractible) content |
| Rilperm® 4040 | Higher performance PA12-EVOH construction (VW specification) with excellent external ZnCl2 resistance & low oligomer content |
| Rilsan® BESN black P20 TL (PA11) | Widely used in contact with most internal barriers on the market, especially in Japan Datasheet |
*All constructions have a conductive version when needed.
Diesel & Bio Diesel
Key application challenges:
- Increasing environment temperatures: Engines are getting more efficient & under-the-hood space is decreasing but turning back to heavy & expensive rubber solutions is not mandatory. Rilsan® PA11 offers improved long term heat resistance versus PA12 and higher high temperature burst pressure.
- Chemical resistance in contact with biodiesel: Aggressiveness due to methyl ester degradation, especially when produced from soybean, requires more and more a switch from standard PA12 to better resisting solutions (Rilsan® PA11).
Solutions:
| Name | Notes |
| Rilsamid® AESN black P201 TL | Standard PA12 solution Datasheet |
| Rilsan® BESN black P20 TL | PA11 solution, for higher cold impact & thermochemical (biodiesel) resistance Datasheet |
| Rilsan® BESN black P210 TL | PA11 solution with extreme cold impact performance Datasheet |
| Rilsan® BESN black P126 TL | PA11 solution with extreme performances (cold impact, thermal & chemical resistance) Datasheet |
In-Tank Lines
Fuel delivery modules require tubing that combine outstanding flexibility with resistance to extreme conditions like high temperature during tank production when in metal, and internal/external fuel contact. Good processability is also needed so that either smooth or corrugated tubes can be made to be.
Solutions:
| Name | Notes |
| Rilsamid® AESNO P40 TL | Very flexible & natural colored PA12 solution Datasheet |
| Rilsan® BESNO P40 TL | Very flexible & natural colored PA11 solution with better performances (cold impact, thermal & chemical resistance) Datasheet |
| Rilsan® BESN black P024 TL | PA11 solution high performances (cold impact, thermal & chemical resistance) and complying with most severe requirements on low wash-out content |
| Rilsan® Evolution ENO P210 TL | Flexible & natural colored PA11-based alloy with extreme performances of thermal & chemical resistance |
Venting Lines & Fuel Filler Necks
Environmental regulations are making it mandatory to continuously handle more gases. This includes areas around the fuel tank and across the whole vehicle, which has led to the increasing quantity and diameter of venting lines. Arkema monowall and multilayer solutions for fuel lines and in-tank lines are well adapted for extrusion up to a diameter of at least 30 mm and corrugation is possible when a more flexible line is needed.
Replacing metal-rubber filler necks with plastic is also a growing trend to save weight and avoid corrosion issues that metal brings. The outstanding combination of performance and processability (extrusion, blow molding) of Arkema resins make it possible to produce parts according to the most challenging designs.
Conductive Solutions Available
Non-conductive fuel lines can create charge separation that leads to the build-up of electrostatic charges. This may create a serious safety concern for spark discharge, therefore a solution using conductive plastics may be preferred in the fuel delivery system.
Conductive grades:
View and Download Our Transportation Brochures and Case Studies!
Transportation - Market Presentation
Rilsan® PA11 Automotive Solutions Case Study
Low washout in-tank monolyaer lines for Hybrid cars with Rilsan® PA11
Low washout multi-layer fuel lines for Hybrid cars with Rilsan® PA11
Low washout conductive multi-layer fuel lines for Hybrid cars with Rilsan® PA11
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