Influence of synthetic fuel on nitrile rubbers used in aviation

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of alternative fuel on selected butadiene-acrylonitrile rubbers used as seals in engine and fuel supply systems of post-Soviet aircrafts. The conventional fuel Jet A-1, the synthetic blending component from hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and its blend were interacted with the sample nitrile rubbers. HEFA technology has been approved by ASTM D7655 for use in turbine aircraft engines. The effect was evaluated on the basis of changes in the nitrile rubber's volume, mass and hardness. It has been confirmed that the synthetic component containing no aromatic hydrocarbons has a different effect on nitrile rubber than the conventional fuel. When the nitrile rubbers were subjected to microscopic observations, the most frequently observed effect was washing out or dissolving of nitrile rubber surface fragments.