Infusion of volatile flavor compounds into low-density polyethylene

Supercritical fluids can extract components from some matrixes (e.g., fat a nd flavors from food) as well as infusing additives into synthetic polymer matrixes. To study the feasibility of infusing flavors into matrixes as a p otential flavoring mechanism, a wide range of volatile flavor compounds was infused into a well-defined synthetic polymer (low-density polyethylene) u sing supercritical carbon dioxide. The polymer was then extracted, and the amount of infused compound was determined. The effects of time, temperature , pressure, rate of depressurization, volatile concentration, and volatile properties on the degree of infusion were studied. Infusion with supercriti cal carbon dioxide achieved much higher loadings of the polymer (0.01 to 6. 87 mg/g LDPE, depending on the volatile molecule being infused) compared to those achieved by static diffusion. Forty-five volatiles were infused, fro m which a model was developed to predict infusion as a function of certain physicochemical properties.