Polymer Composite for Sprayers of Farm Syringes: Tests

Abstract

The service life of an agricultural syringe depends on the sprayer material. To increase the wear resistance of polymer nozzles, disperse fillers are implanted into the composite. The composite for sprayers of agricultural syringes must possess a high chemical resistance to agrochemicals and mechanical strength, as well as low hydro-abrasive wear. To choose an optimal polymer composite for sprayers of agricultural syringes, three composites have been prepared based on polyoxymethylene of grade MASCON POM 27, in which glass fiber, graphite, and silicon carbide have been used with volumetric degrees of filling of 10, 15, and 20%, respectively. Polymer composites have been tested for 14 weeks for chemical resistance to agrochemicals (herbicide “Lazurite,” fungicide “Rakurs,” and insecticide “Boreas Neo”), mechanical strength, and hydro-abrasive wear. Samples of polyoxymethylene of grade MASCON POM 27 have been used as the standard. The results of tensile mechanical strength tests have revealed the largest increase in the strength factor at 15% content of the filler irrespective of its type. The strength of the composite with silicon carbide, glass fiber graphite has increased by 30.2, 26.8, and 27.4%, respectively. It has been established that the chemical resistance of composites is independent of the concentration of agrochemical solution. Experiments on hydro-abrasive wear have revealed that graphite and silicon carbide are effective as fillers and can reduce wear by up to 7.5 times. For manufacturing sprayers for farm syringes, it is recommended to use polyoxymethylene with a silicon carbide content of 15%.