Tareq Al-Ati

Abstract

In an attempt to confront consequences of the growing municipal solid waste stream, recycling has become one of the logical, successful, and practical solutions. With the expanding food and plastics industries, the proposition of using post-consumer materials in food-contact applications may be justifiable. However, for the recycling "cause" to succeed, its technologies and products have to fulfill the standards and requirements set forth by the parties involved: food and plastics industries, recyclers, FDA, to name few. In this study, 100% post-consumer HDPE films are found to have the same oxygen permeability as virgin HDPE films. Gas chromatography has been used in monitoring the permeability of oxygen of both materials. The finding of equal oxygen permeation rates for both recycled and virgin HDPE films may indicate that the recycling process in itself does not effect the oxygen permeation of the HDPE resins. The recommendation of this project is that recycled polymers should undergo further analysis to examine their safety before they are proposed for food-contact applications.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Plastic films--Permeability--Testing; Plastics in packaging--Research; Polyethylene--Permeability--Testing; Food--Packaging--Research; Plastics--Recycling--Research

Publication Date

1994

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Packaging Science (CAST)

Advisor

Goodwin, Daniel

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: TP1183.F5A42 1994

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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