Permeability characterisation of solvent treated polymer materials

The permeability of gases is reported for some monofilms as well as laminat ed polymers at temperatures from 20 to 60 degreesC. In order to simulate th e effect of food/packaging interaction on permeability of polymeric materia ls, all investigated samples were subjected to 15% (v/v) ethanol and 3% (w/ v) acetic acid aqueous solution prior to permeability measurements. The act ivation energy for permeability is also reported for each;gas. The permeabi lity of the selected polymers treated with food simulants increased signifi cantly compared to untreated ones, mainly due to the swelling effect of the water molecules. All investigated samples showed behaviour predicted by th e Arrhenius equation when in the dry condition. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.