Abstract
The work is an experimental study of gas permeability and DSC characterisation of polymers used in food packaging. For this purpose polyethylene (0.03 and 0.1 mm), polypropylene (0.03 mm), and coextruded polypropylene (0.03 mm) were studied. The permeabilities of polymers to oxygen and nitrogen were measured at different temperatures using the manometric method. Permeability, diffusion and solubility constants were also calculated while temperatures and enthalpies of the phase change were determined by the DSC method. Permeability of gases increases with temperature for all investigated samples. Permeability data of all investigated samples showed good agreement with the Arrhenius equation. Upon temperature increase starting from 40°C all samples undergo phase change in the temperature range from 107°C to 173°C with enthalpies in the range of 40 to 85 J g−1. Experiments where simulated conditions of food sterilisation were used as well as exposition to radiation in a microwave oven showed negligible changes in DSC indicating structural stability of the polymers.
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