Accelerated solvent extraction of the antioxidant Irganox 1076 in linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) granules before and after γ-irradiation

Abstract

To achieve effective and reproducible extractions of the antioxidant Irganox 1076 from linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) components at reduced time and cost, the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) technique was evaluated with solvent composition and temperatures as test variables. The aim was to find proper extraction conditions for the balance between high diffusion rate of the analytes versus solvation of the plastic material. High extraction yields and reproducible results, RSDs between 9.7–12.5%, were obtained using ethyl acetate mixed with hexane 90:10 (v:v) at 100 °C. The results showed that no grinding of 4 mm granules was necessary before extraction nor was concentration of the extracts needed before LC analysis. By using the established extraction method, a comparison between γ-irradiated and non-irradiated LLDPE granules showed that more than 96% of the Irganox 1076 was lost after γ-irradiation (2 × 25 kGy).