A geomembrane is very low permeability synthetic membrane liner or barrier used with any geotechnical engineering related material so as to control fluid (liquid or gas) migration in a human-made project, structure, or system. Geomembranes are made from relatively thin continuous polymeric sheets, but they can also be made from the impregnation of geotextiles with asphalt, elastomer or polymer sprays, or as multilayered bitumen geocomposites. Continuous polymer sheet geomembranes are, by far, the most common.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing of geomembranes begins with the production of the raw materials, which include the polymer resin, and various additives such as antioxidants, plasticizers, fillers, carbon black, and lubricants (as a processing aid). These raw materials (i.e., the "formulation") are then processed into sheets of various widths and thickness by extrusion, calendering, and/or spread coating.
Geomembranes dominate the sales of geosynthetic products, at US$1.8 billion per year worldwide, which is 35% of the market. The US market is currently divided between HDPE, LLDPE, fPP, PVC, CSPE-R, EPDM-R and others (such as EIA-R), and can be summarized as follows: (Note that M m2 refers to millions of square meters.)
high-density polyethylene (HDPE) ~ 35% or 105 M m2
linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) ~ 25% or 75 M m2
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ~ 25% or 75 M m2
flexible polypropylene (fPP) ~ 10% or 30 M m2
chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) ~ 2% or 6 M m2
ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) ~ 3% or 9 M m2
The above represents approximately $1.8 billion in worldwide sales. Projections for future geomembrane usage are strongly dependent on the application and geographical location. Landfill liners and covers in North America and Europe will probably see modest growth (~ 5%), while in other parts of the world growth could be dramatic (10–15%). Perhaps the greatest increases will be seen in the containment of coal ash and heap leach mining for precious metal capture.
Properties
The majority of generic geomembrane test methods that are referenced worldwide are by the ASTM International|American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) due to their long history in this activity. More recent are test method developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Lastly, the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) has developed test methods that are only for test methods not addressed by ASTM or ISO. Of course, individual countries and manufacturers often have specific (and sometimes) proprietary test methods.
Physical properties
The main physical properties of geomembranes in the as-manufactured state are:
Thickness (smooth sheet, textured, asperity height) Density Melt flow index Mass per unit area (weight) Vapor transmission (water and solvent).
Mechanical properties
There are a number of mechanical tests that have been developed to determine the strength of polymeric sheet materials. Many have been adopted for use in evaluating geomembranes. They represent both quality control and design, i.e., index versus performance tests.
tensile strength and elongation (index, wide width, axisymmetric, and seams) tear resistance impact resistance puncture resistance interface shear strength anchorage strength stress cracking (constant load and single point).
Endurance
Any phenomenon that causes polymeric chain scission, bond breaking, additive depletion, or extraction within the geomembrane must be considered as compromising to its long-term performance. There are a number of potential concerns in this regard. While each is material-specific, the general behavior trend is to cause the geomembrane to become brittle in its stress-strain behavior over time. There are several mechanical properties to track in monitoring such long term degradation: the decrease in elongation at failure, the increase in modulus of elasticity, the increase (then decrease) in stress at failure (i.e., strength), and the general loss of ductility. Obviously, many of the physical and mechanical properties could be used to monitor the polymeric degradation process.
ultraviolet light exposure (laboratory of field) radioactive degradation biological degradation (animals, fungi or bacteria) chemical degradation thermal behavior (hot or cold) oxidative degradation.