Mineral Oil Analysis in Recycled Fibre Food Packaging
Verify MOSH and MOAH compliance in recycled fibre packaging using accredited HPLC-GC-FID testing, validated functional barriers, and complete declarations of compliance.
EN 14338 Tenax Simulant
Thermal Adsorption
Standardized analytical procedures evaluate substance migration from paper and board packaging into dry foods using synthetic poly(2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide) porous polymers. Modified polyphenylene oxide beads act as a solid food simulant capable of absorbing volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds at elevated temperatures. The EN 14338 Tenax simulant method specifies controlled contact conditions between paperboard specimens and adsorbent polymer particles to measure migrant transfer.
Test conditions usually involve exposing the substrate to the simulant at temperatures ranging from 40 to 175 degrees Celsius for specified contact intervals. Volatile substances migrate across the paperboard interface and adsorb onto the polymer surface for subsequent solvent extraction.
Trapping Mechanism
Testing requires uniform contact between the paperboard sample surface and the granular poly-phenylene oxide particles inside a sealed test cell. Solid particle size distribution determines the effective surface contact area, where inconsistent packing creates air voids that impede migrant transfer. Utilizing the EN 14338 Tenax simulant system allows laboratory technicians to quantify low molecular weight mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons and photoinitiators without liquid solvent degradation of the paper fibres.
Extraction solvents like hexane or diethyl ether recover trapped substances from the adsorbent prior to chromatographic analysis. Inconsistent thermal distribution inside the test chamber alters migration kinetics and skews total measured yield.
Surface Limit
Adsorption capacity limits dictate maximum exposure durations during high temperature testing. Saturated polymer beads cease capturing volatile molecules, leading to underreported migration figures. The EN 14338 Tenax simulant standard defines strict upper thresholds for migrant mass relative to packaging surface area.