Sorption-desorption of aromas on multi-use PET bottles. A test procedure

A test procedure has been developed to test the efficiency of the washing Of PET bottles intended for the reuse with sodium hydroxide solutions in order to remove products which were sorbed during the first use, The pollutants of the packaging were aqueous solutions of three aromas: limonene, linalool and linalyl acetate. Plastic materials were analysed after the first storage (T-1), after processing (T-2), and after a second filling and a further storage (T-3) Limonene was the only pollutant sorbed in a significant manner into the walls of the bottles, and was always found after washing. Migration of this aroma from the processed bottles into water was also examined and the distribution coefficients compared at times T-1, and T-3 Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.