Gas transmission rates of commercially available polyethylene and polypropylene films for modified atmosphere packaging

Issue Date

3-2007

Abstract

Oxygen transmission rates (OTR) of low-density polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) films were measured at 10, 15 and 17°C using the whole-bag method of Moyls (2004) for unperforated films. PE films with a nominal thickness of 30, 40, 60 and 80 μm(PE30, PE40, PE60 and PE80, respectively) were analyzed; thickness of the PP film was 40 μm. Oxygen and CO2 transmission rates (CO2TR) of 35-μm micro-perforated polypropylene (MPP) were measured at 10, 15, and 17°C using the method described by Ozdemir et al. (Ozdemir I, Monnet F, Gouble B. 2005. Postharvest Biol Tech 36:209-213). Temperature effects on unperforated PE and PP films followed Arrhenius kinetics (R2 > 0.970). Activation energy (Ea) of PE film had a range of 28.1-35.0 kJ mol-1; for PP film, Ea was 38.1 kJ mol-1. In general, Ea of PE film increased as film thickness (tF) increased. Q10-Tr values at 10-20°C for PE and PP were 1.50-1.66 and 1.74, respectively. Temperature had no definite effect on OTR and CO2TR of MPP. Mean OTR and CO2TR for MPP were 10,848 and 9,554 mL m-2 d-1, respectively. The average perforation diameter (Dmp) and density (dmp) was 41.0 μm and 125 perforations per m2, respectively, for a 20 cm × 28 cm bag. Comparisons with published data showed the sample film to have gas transmission rates at the lower end of the range for such types of packaging film.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Agricultural Scientist

ISSN

317454

Volume

90

Issue

1

Page

22-27

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Subject

Gas transmission, Micro-perforated, Modified atmosphere, Packaging

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