Fuel tank having a multilayer structure

Abstract

An automotive plastic fuel tank with a wall having a structural layer of HDPE and a hydrocarbon fuel barrier layer of an EVOH based material with a binder layer between them. The barrier layer prevents the passage of hydrocarbons through the wall to the atmosphere. The barrier layer is on an exterior face of the wall and preferably on the interior of the tank in direct contact with fuel therein. Preferably, the barrier includes a layer of polyamide (A) or a mixture of polyamide (A) and polyolefin (B).

1 . A fuel tank having a structure comprising, successively: 
 a first layer of high density polyethylene (HDPE),    a layer of binder, and    an exposed barrier layer of an EVOH based material.    
     
     
         2 . The fuel tank of  claim 1  wherein the barrier layer also comprises a layer of one of polyamide (A) and a mixture of polyamide (A) and polyolefin (B).  
     
     
         3 . The fuel tank of  claim 1  wherein the binder comprises: 
 5 to 30 parts of a polymer (D) which itself comprises a mixture of a polyethylene (D1) with a density of between 0.910 and 0.940 and of a polymer (D2) chosen from elastomers, very low density polyethylenes and metallocene polyethylenes, the mixture (D1)+(D2) being co-grafted with an unsaturated carboxylic acid,  
 95 to 70 parts of a polyethylene (E) with a density of between 0.910 and 0.930,  
 the mixture of (D) and (E) being such that: 
 its density is between 0.910 and 0.930,  
 the content of grafted unsaturated carboxylic acid is between 30 and 10,000 ppm,  
 the MFI (ASTM D 1238—190° C.-2.16 kg) is between 0.1 and 3 g/10 min, the MFI denotes the melt flow index.  
 
 
     
     
         4 . The fuel tank of  claim 3  wherein the density of the binder is between 0.915 and 0.920.  
     
     
         5 . The fuel tank of  claim 3  wherein D1 and E are LLDPEs which have the same comonomer.  
     
     
         6 . The fuel tank of  claim 1  wherein the binder comprises: 
 5 to 30 parts of a polymer (F) which itself comprises a mixture of a polyethylene (F1) with a density of between 0.935 and 0.980 and of a polymer (F2) chosen from elastomers, very low density polyethylenes and ethylene copolymers, the mixture (F1)+(F2) being co-grafted with an unsaturated carboxylic acid,  
 95 to 70 parts of a polyethylene (G) with a density of between 0.930 and 0.950,  
 the mixture of (F) and (G) being such that: 
 its density is between 0.930 and 0.950,  
 the content of grafted unsaturated carboxylic acid is between 30 and 10,000 ppm,  
 the MFI (melt flow index) measured according to ASTM D 1238 at 190° C.-21.6 kg is between 5 and 100.  
 
 
     
     
         7 . The fuel tank of  claim 1  wherein the binder is a polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride, having an MFI of 0.1 to 3, a density of between 0.920 and 0.930 and containing 2 to 40% by weight of insolubles in n-decane at 90° C.  
     
     
         8 . The fuel tank of  claim 7  wherein the grafted polyethylene is diluted in a non-grafted polyethylene and such that the binder is a mixture of 2 to 30 parts of a grafted polyethylene with a density of between 0.930 and 0.980 and from 70 to 98 parts of a non-grafted polyethylene with a density of between 0.910 and 0.940.  
     
     
         9 . The fuel tank of  claim 1  wherein the binder is a mixture consisting of a polyethylene of HDPE, LLDPE, VLDPE or LDPE type, 5 to 35% of a grafted metallocene polyethylene and 0 to 35% of an elastomer, the total being 100%.  
     
     
         10 . The fuel tank of  claim 2  wherein the polyamide of the barrier layer is a copolyamide.  
     
     
         11 . The fuel tank of  claim 2  wherein the polyolefin (B) of the barrier layer comprises (i) a high density polyethylene (HDPE) and (ii) a mixture of a polyethylene (C1) and a polymer (C2) chosen from elastomers, very low density polyethylenes and ethylene copolymers, the mixture (C1)+(C2) being co-grafted with an unsaturated carboxylic acid.  
     
     
         12 . The fuel tank of  claim 2  wherein the polyolefin (B) of the barrier layer comprises (i) polypropylene and (ii) a polyolefin which results from the reaction of a polyamide (C4) with a copolymer (C3) comprising propylene and a grafted or copolymerized unsaturated monomer X.  
     
     
         13 . The fuel tank of  claim 2  wherein the polyolefin (B) of the barrier layer comprises (i) a polyethylene of LLDPE, VLDPE or metallocene type and (ii) an ethylene-alkyl (meth)acrylate-maleic anhydride copolymer.  
     
     
         14 . The fuel tank of  claim 2  wherein the polyamide (A) of the barrier layer is chosen from mixtures of (i) polyamide and (ii) copolymer containing PA 6 blocks and PTMG blocks and mixtures of (i) polyamide and (ii) copolymer containing PA 12 blocks and PTMG blocks; the ratio of the amounts of copolymer and of polyamide by weight being between 10/90 and 60/40.  
     
     
         15 . The fuel tank of  claim 14 , wherein the polyolefin (B) of the barrier layer comprises (i) a polyethylene of LLDPE, VLDPE or metallocene type and (ii) an ethylene-alkyl (meth)acrylate-maleic anhydride copolymer.  
     
     
         16 . The fuel tank of  claim 14 , in which the polyolefin comprises two functionalized polymers comprising at least 50 mol % of ethylene units and which can react to form a crosslinked phase.  
     
     
         17 . The fuel tank of  claim 1  wherein the barrier layer is in direct contact with fuel within the tank.  
     
     
         18 . The fuel tank of  claim 2  which also comprises a binder between the EVOH material and the one of the layer of polyamide (A) and a mixture of polyamide(A) and polyolefin (B) of the barrier layer.  
     
     
         19 . A fuel tank having a structure comprising, successively: 
 a first layer of high density polyethylene (HDPE),    a layer of binder, and    an exposed barrier layer of an EVOH based material and a layer of one of polyamide (A) and a mixture of polyamide (A) and polyolefin (B).    
     
     
         20 . The fuel tank of  claim 19  wherein the barrier layer is in direct contact with fuel within the tank.  
     
     
         21 . The fuel tank of  claim 19  which also comprises a binder between the EVOH material and the one of the layer of polyamide (A) and a mixture of polyamide (A) and polyolefin (B) of the barrier layer.  
     
     
         22 . The fuel tank of  claim 19  wherein the barrier layer is on the outside of the fuel tank and is not in direct contact with fuel within the tank.  
     
     
         23 . A fuel tank, comprising: 
 a tank wall defining an interior of the fuel tank, said tank wall having an inner layer of a polyamide and polyolefin mixture adjacent to the interior of the fuel tank, a barrier layer generally surrounding the inner layer, and at least one structural layer surrounding the barrier layer.    
     
     
         24 . The fuel tank of  claim 23  wherein the tank wall is formed by a multiple layer parison that is blow molded into its final shape and has a pinch line in an area where the parison is closed during the blowmolding process, and said inner layer is arranged so that a portion of the inner layer engages another portion of the inner layer as the parison is pinched to form a continuous inner layer of the tank wall without a permeation window.  
     
     
         25 . The fuel tank of  claim 23  which also comprises an adhesive layer disposed between the barrier layer and said at least one structural layer.  
     
     
         26 . The fuel tank of  claim 23  which also comprises a damper layer disposed between the inner layer and the barrier layer.  
     
     
         27 . The fuel tank of  claim 23  wherein the inner layer has a continuous inner surface arranged to be in contact with fuel in the fuel tank.