ABSTRACT: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) food packaging materials were submitted to different heating conditions. Oligomers were identified by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, quantified and used as parameter for the evaluation of thermal stability of the polymer. Small changes in oligomer distribution were observed only for samples heated at 230 °C, suggesting that PET is stable at the heating conditions employed. The results also suggest that the polymer is suitable as food packaging material intended for use in conventional and microwave ovens.
Polyethylene terephthalate; package; migration; thermal degradation
