Electron microscopic study of the PVC bottle wall: the food-plastic interaction

PVC bottle wall samples with different conditions of treatment, without air‐blowing, with air‐blowing and with air‐blowing in contact with water were investigated. ESCA results of the PVC bottle wall indicated that the surface composition was almost the same in both air‐blown and non‐air‐blown samples. In the case of air‐blown samples filled with water, the ratio of O/C and CI/C rose considerably. The purpose of this study was to simulate transport vibrations and to develop a technique to evaluate the effects of vibration on migration. Solvent extraction of the water in contact with PVC bottles was made and subsequent gas chromatographic analysis facilitated the quantification of migrant 2‐ethylhexanoic acid. The results confirm that migration is strongly induced by mechanical stresses. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.