Effects of film variety on the amounts of carboxylic acids from electron beam irradiated polyethylene film.

Abstract

The amounts of carboxylic acids released from electron beam irradiated polyethylene film, which can be indicators of the intensity of off-odor, were examined. The conditions for trapping acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, and n-valeric acid from two grams of film irradiated with a dose of 20 kGy in air were established as follows; carboxylic acids volatilized at 80°C from irradiated film were concentrated on Tenax GCby passing nitrogen gas at a flow rate of 20 ml/min for 30 minutes. The amounts of carboxylic acids varied considerably depending upon the properties of the resin, the presence of additives, etc. Without additives, the total amounts of the acids from the film which gave the strongest off-odor was three times the total amounts of the acids from the film which gave the weakest off-odor. The addition of butylated hydroxytoluene to film reduced remarkably the formation of carboxylic acids.