RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Water test
A,D,F - float
B,C,E - sink

Copper wire
test
(sink)

A - green flame

Isopropyl test
(float)

D,F - non
green flame

B,C - float

Acetone test

D - Hard

E - sink

Oil test
B,C - sink

F - soft

Heat test
D - soft

Figure 1: Flow chart of results from the experiment conducted.

Table 1: Result of unknown plastic and their density.
Unknown
A
B
C
D
E
F

Density (g/ml)
0.95 0.97
0.90 0.91
0.92 0.94
1.38 1.39
1.16 1.35
1.05 1.07

Plastic
HDPE
PP
LDPE
PETE
PVC
PS

The aim of this experiment is to become familiar with the characteristic of various plastic
films and laminates as well as to learn a scheme for their identification. The packages made with
plastic are permeable at different degrees to small molecules like gases, water vapor and organic
vapor and to other low molecular weight compounds like aromas, flavor and additives present
into food. Resulting the barrier properties of the material, the transfer of this molecule ranges
from high to low. The knowledge of the solution, diffusion, permeation behaviors of these
molecules through the polymer film has become more important nowadays, especially for
polymers used in the food packaging field where contamination from external environment has
to be avoided and the shelf life of the food controlled by the use of modified atmosphere
packaging (MAP) techniques. Many factors that can influence the polymer packages
performance must be taken into consideration to design the correct package market solution.
(Valentina Siracusa)
The use of different polymers in food packaging industry depends on the properties of the
food product. Also, manufacturing, handling, and packaging engineering procedures can
influence the final properties of packaging material, especially in terms of barrier properties
which are, further, strictly correlated to the intrinsic structure of the polymer such as degree of
crystallinity, nature of polymer, thermal and mechanical treatment before and after food contact,
chemical groups present into the polymer (polar or not), degree of crosslinking, and glass
transition temperature. The selection of the best packaging material is a crucial point for food
market, because it needs to be versatile enough to withstand handling process forces maintaining
physical and chemical integrity and suitable for barrier properties to several gases used in MAP
techniques such as O2, N2, CO2. Furthermore, the intrinsic composition of the packed food for
example, pH, fat content, aroma compound may have an influence on the sorption characteristics
of the packaging materials, while environmental factors like temperature and, for some
polymers, relative humidity may affect their barrier characteristics. (Guyana)

There are six types of plastics films and laminates that were used in this experiment
which were polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS).
The first test that was being conducted in this experiment was the water test. A 250ml beaker was
filled with 100ml of tap water and the sample from A to F was poked into it with a glass stirring
rod one after another. The results was recorded whether the sample were sink or floated. As
shown in the flow chart, sample A, D and F were sank while B, C and E were floated. But the
result for sample A supposedly floating while sample E supposedly sink. There was an error
when the experiment was conducted. The result obtained was not the same as stated in the theory
probably because the experimenters poked the sample too much or too deep.
After that, the samples that sink was then go through copper wire test which in this test
the experimenters need to hold the copper wire in the hot part of the flame of Bunsen burner until
it is red hot and the flame no longer has a green color. Then, the cooper wire was removed and
touched into the sample. Observation was done and the results were recorded and the result
obtained was sample A was burn with green flame while sample D and F burn with non-green
flame. The green color flame indicated that the sample A contains chlorine. Next, sample D and
F which does not have green flame when tested with copper wire were then go through acetone
test. In this test, the samples were put into 10ml of acetone in a 50ml beaker for 20 seconds.
Then, sample F shows a positive reaction because the polymer become soft and sticky while
sample D shows no reaction. Sample D was then gone through the last test which was heat test.
100ml of boiling water was put into 250ml beaker and the sample was hold into it for 30
seconds. Sample D shows reaction because the polymer is softened.
The sample B, C and E which were floated during the water test has undergone an
isopropyl test. The isopropyl alcohol solution was put into 250 ml beaker then the sample was
poked into it with stirring rod one after another and observed whether the sample sinks or float.
The result obtained was the sample B and C floated while sample E sank. After that the sample
that float was then go through the oil test. Both samples B and C was placed into the oil and
poked with a stirring rod and observe which samples floats or sinks. The results show that both
of the samples sink which was supposedly only one should be sank. This is probably because the
results of the samples were already wrong at the beginning which was at the water test. So from

the overall result, it indicate that sample A is HDPE, sample B is PP and sample C is LDPE and
all these three samples is less dense than water. Meanwhile, for sample D, E and F the result
indicate that the sample is PETE, PVC and PS respectively and is more dense than water.

references
1. Guyana, Plastic Packaging Films & Laminates: Properties, Specification & Purchasing, April,
2010.
2. ValentinaSiracusa,FoodPackagingPermeabilityBehaviour:AReport,International
Journal of Polymer Science,vol.2012,ArticleID302029,11pages,2012.
doi:10.1155/2012/302029