Tenax Migration Testing Parameters for Recycled Packaging Hydrocarbon Verification
Modified solid simulant Tenax TA testing under EN 14338 verifies gas-phase MOSH and MOAH migration from recycled paperboard without false-positive wax interference.
Poly 2 6 Diphenyl P Phenylene Oxide
Polymer Sorbent
A high-temperature synthetic polymer consisting of repeating phenylene oxide units with phenyl substituents behaves as a porous adsorbent with excellent thermal stability. Laboratories utilize poly 2 6 diphenyl p phenylene oxide as a dry food simulant to test the migration of chemicals from paperboard packaging. Its chemical structure allows it to absorb volatile organic compounds and mineral oils that migrate from the paperboard during high-temperature testing.
Analytical Simulation
The polymer is distributed evenly over the test specimen of paperboard and kept in contact at a defined temperature and duration according to official testing standards. Because it is highly porous and does not melt at standard oven temperatures, it mimics the absorption characteristics of dry, fatty foods. After the exposure period, the absorbed substances are extracted from the polymer with a solvent and analyzed using gas chromatography to quantify the potential migration.
This procedure is the standard method for determining the safety of recycled boxboard in contact with food.
Safety Certification
Meeting safety regulations for dry food packaging requires demonstrating that chemical transfer remains below regulatory limits. If the test using this polymer reveals excessive migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons or ink components, the board must be fitted with an internal barrier coating. This sorbent-based test is the decisive measure used by mills to certify their packaging materials for food contact.