Effect of texturing on the longevity of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes in municipal solid waste landfills

Abstract

The effect of texturing (co-extrusion using blowing agent) on the longevity of a geomembrane (GMB) when immersed in synthetic municipal solid waste leachate is investigated over a ∼3 year period. Based on data at four temperatures (40, 55, 75, and 85 °C), the time to antioxidant depletion of the textured portion of a 1.5 mm core thickness high-density polyethylene (HDPE) GMB is 40% (standard oxidative induction time) and 9% (high-pressure oxidative induction time) faster compared to the 1.5 mm smooth edge of the GMB. However, despite this, stress crack resistance results show that texturing may have no significant effect on the time to nominal failure for this GMB. It is also shown that HDPE GMBs made from nominally the same resin but from different production lots have different rates of stress crack resistance degradation and hence time to nominal failure; this should be considered both in landfill design and landfill construction quality assurance.