Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

Geomembranes are now used in most domains of geotechnical engineering to control advection out of structures, for example water reservoirs, irrigation canals and dams. They also have extensive applications for limiting pollutant migration in solid waste landfills and liquid waste lagoons. Geomembranes are made of polymers such as polyolefins and polyvinylchloride, which display a low permeability to several liquids including water. When installed and tested by a skilled installer, they provide reliable containment and protection of Canada's water resources. Increasing concern about health and the environment as well as the development of new industrial processes have generated new applications for geomembranes, for example in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, in frac water lagoons, and for organic spill containment. In these applications, geomembranes may be exposed to various chemicals, including new types of contaminants, at sustained high temperatures. However, polyethylene geomembranes generally lose most of their mechanical performance above 85C. In addition, their chemical degradation rate increases tremendously at high temperature. The project aims at developing geomembrane formulations with improved resistance to high temperature and chemicals as well as increased barrier properties, flexibility and durability. The use of alternative resin grades and types of antioxidants and stabilizers will be investigated. The project will also involve the design of test setups and protocols to model in a very short time the geomembrane aging behavior in the various environments it can be exposed to. This project benefits from a strong partnership between industry and research key players in geomembranes. It gives a unique opportunity to position Canada as a leader in high performance geomembranes as well as strongly reduce the impact of human industrial activity on the environment, which is a priority for Canadians.