USING A SIMPLE DIFFUSION-MODEL TO PREDICT RESIDUAL MONOMER MIGRATION - CONSIDERATIONS AND LIMITATIONS

A simple mathematical equation based on a diffusion model has been uti lized recently to estimate migration of both acrylonitrile and styrene from polymers produced from these monomers which are used under a wid e variety of food-contact applications. These calculated migration val ues have subsequently been used to estimate the US consumer's exposure to acrylonitrile and styrene from food stored in these materials. The basic assumptions integral to the model are discussed in relation to potential errors in migration estimates that could be experienced tf t he assumptions are not true. rn addition to the discussion of the basi c assumptions, factors affecting the migration predictions such as pol ymer 'ageing', temperature changes during the lifetime of the polymeri c article, the effects of polymer-modifying materials (plasticizers, i mpact modifiers), and the physical form of the article or test sample are discussed.