Study of Properties of Polyethylene Glycol and Its Glass Fibers Composites under UV-Rad for Oils Filtration Applications

Abstract

This study determines the effects of UV radiation and heat treatment on many flow and mechanical parameters of PEG 4000, including flow time and viscosity (specific, reduced, relative, and intrinsic). Solubility time and shore D hardness are among the mechanical characteristics. By adjusting the concentrations of solutions in the range (0.01–0.03) g/ml of heating and non-heating PEG powders, and examining the polymer's solubility at the same time, the flow characteristics of the polymer are explored. Random glass fiber reinforcement in the range of 0.1–0.4 wt has also been studied to indicate the effect on shore hardness. After exposing the produced plates to ultraviolet light, the efficacy of the plates in purifying the oil from contaminants was investigated. The results show that increasing the concentration increases all types of viscosity and flow time, with the exception of intrinsic viscosity, which decreases as concentrations increase. Other parameters decrease after the first UV ray and heat treatment, but increase as the time of UV ray treatment increases. Furthermore, increasing the weight ratio of glass fibers from 0.1 to 0.4 wt lowered shore hardness, whereas increasing the weight ratio at the same previous range increased it after UV rad. While solubility data refers to increasing polymer weight and radiation help increase solubility time. The filtration efficacy   of the small particles of the produced filters increased after the overlapping plates were exposed to UV radiation, owing to the smaller pore diameters.