Factors Affecting the Performance of New Oxygen Scavenging Polymer for Packaging Applications

Abstract

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company has developed an oxygen scavenging system based on a blend of ethylene methylacrylate cyclohexenylmethyl acrylate (EMCM) for use in both flexible and rigid packaging applications. This polymer distinguishes itself from other oxygen scavenging polymers in that scavenging is conducted without the generation of degradation products that may easily migrate out of the polymer matrix, which in turn could cause negative organoleptic effects in certain classes of foods. Also, through the use of a proprietary photoinitiator, the oxidation mechanism may be initiated by treating the polymer with commercially available ultraviolet light systems, without reducing typical packaging rates. This system allows the packager to incorporate the scavenger into the package structure, store the packaging raw material (e.g. film, cartons, or bottles) for an extended period of time, and then initiate scavenging at the most opportune time - just prior to filling. Once the filled package is sealed, the polymer will scavenge any residual headspace oxygen in the package as well as any fugitive oxygen that may permeate through the passive barrier in the structure. This paper discusses the scavenging system and examines some of the factors that affect the performance of the system which must be considered during application specific development work.