Migration of Quaternary Ammonium Cations from Exfoliated Clay/Low-Density Polyethylene Nanocomposites into Food Simulants.

ABSTRACT: Clay/polymer nanocomposites (CPNs) are polymers incorporating refined clay particles that are frequently functionalized with quaternary ammonium cations (QACs) as dispersion aids. There is interest in commercializing CPNs for food contact applications because they have improved strength and barrier properties, but there are few studies on the potential for QACs in CPNs to transfer to foods under conditions of intended use. In this study, we manufactured low-density poly(ethylene) (LDPE)-based CPNs and assessed whether QACs can migrate into several food simulants under accelerated storage conditions. QACs were found to migrate to a fatty food simulant (ethanol) at levels of ∼1.1 μg mg^-1 CPN mass after 10 days at 40 °C, constituting about 4% total migration (proportion of the init

SUBMITTER: Jablonski JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6705235 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature