Analysis of Food Wrap Films Using Double-Shot Pyrolyzer® Part 4: Analysis of Evolved Gases Components at 100ºC

Importance of the Topic

Analysis of gases released from food wrap films at typical use temperatures plays a critical role in ensuring consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Understanding the identity and concentration of evolved compounds helps manufacturers assess potential migration of additives and degradation products into food.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study applied Double-Shot Pyrolyzer® to characterize volatile and semi-volatile species evolved from commercial food wrap films (PVDC, PVC, PE, PP+Nylon) exposed to 100 ºC for 10 minutes. The goal was to identify evolved gas components, quantify their levels, and evaluate potential risks.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Samples of 9 cm2 from each film type were analyzed by heating in a Double-Shot Pyrolyzer (PT-2020D) at 100 ºC. Evolved gases were trapped using a MicroJet Cryo Trap and separated on an Ultra ALLOY+-5 GC column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm). GC oven programming ranged from 40 ºC to 320 ºC at 20 ºC/min. Detection was performed by MS (m/z 29–400, 2 scans/s).

Main Results and Discussion

Quantitative GC/MS analysis revealed that all detected compounds were present at concentrations below 100 ppm. Key evolved species included:

• PVDC: triethylene glycol, various fatty acid esters, adipic acid esters
• PVC: tributyl aconitate, tributyl acetylcitrate
• PE: n-alkanes (C12, C14, C16)
• PP+Nylon: caprolactam, acetic acid, triacetin

These results confirm that common plasticizers and degradation fragments are released at mild heating but remain at low levels.

Benefits and Practical Applications

By providing a reliable profile of evolved gases under realistic conditions, this method supports quality control, material selection, and safety assessment for food packaging producers and regulatory bodies.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances may include coupling with high-resolution MS for trace-level identification, extending the temperature range to mimic cooking conditions, and applying chemometric analysis for rapid screening of diverse packaging materials.

Conclusion

This work demonstrates that Double-Shot Pyrolyzer® combined with cryo-trapping GC/MS offers a sensitive and robust approach for profiling evolved gases from food wrap films at use temperature, enabling detection of plasticizers and by-products below regulatory thresholds.

Instrumentation Used

• Double-Shot Pyrolyzer® (PT-2020D)
• MicroJet Cryo Trap
• GC/MS system with Ultra ALLOY+-5 column
• Helium carrier gas at 1.0 ml/min column flow, 60 ml/min total flow

References

Frontier Laboratories Ltd. Technical Note PYA1-025E: Analysis of Evolved Gases from Food Wrap Films Exposed to 100 ºC for 10 min.