Quantifying 'Free Oxygen' within Polymer Containers, 2001 Polymers Laminations & Coatings Conference Proceedings

Joel Fischer--In many industries, packaging is critical to a product’s shelf-life. Besides the aesthetic values of a successful package (including package shape and colorful labeling), protective qualities are also important. One specific area of protection is to limit the amount of oxygen reaching the product. Many new polymers are being engineered to increase the oxygen barrier qualities of containers. As the polymers are becoming better barriers, other concerns are now arising. One of these concerns is the initial amount of iffreels or soluble oxygen within the bottles prior to filling. It is believed that in some cases, the amount of soluble oxygen within polymer bottles can affect a product™s taste and color in a manner of weeks, whereas the expected shelf-life, based on the packages oxygen transmission rate should allow the product months of shelf stability.

In an effort to aid the packaging industry, MOCON has developed a method for quantifying the initial amount of oxygen within full packages. This method involves outgassing a complete, air saturated package within a leak-free capture volume. The amount of iffreele oxygen naturally diffusing from the bottle is then quantified with a Coulox TM detector. The advantage of this type of analysis over a flat film analysis is that the actual container is analyzed with its unique morphology, crystallinity and wall thicknesses.