ORIGINAL PAPER Experimental and theoretical study of thermodynamics and transport properties of multilayer polymeric food packaging A. Torres • A. Guarda • N. Moraga • J. Romero • M. J. Galotto Received: 29 September 2011 / Revised: 24 January 2012 / Accepted: 31 January 2012 / Published online: 12 February 2012 Ó Springer-Verlag 2012 Abstract The specific migration of Octadecyl 3-(3,5-di- tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate (I-1076) from three-layer low-density polyethylene plastic films into a fatty food simulant was studied. The film samples, having a symmetrical structure with a contaminated core layer and virgin outer layers, were developed with a known amount of a selected migrant in the inner layer. A phenomeno- logical model based on a resistances-in-series was resolved through the regula falsi algorithm according to a routine that considers the income of the structural parameters of the system and experimental conditions in which migration testing was performed. The model’s accuracy in predicting migration was demonstrated successfully by comparing simulated results to experimental data. The computer pro- gram, developed as a total solution package for migration problems, can be applied not only to multilayer structures made with the same type of plastics but also to structures with different plastics. Keywords Migration  Partition coefficient  Mathematical modeling  Food packaging  Multilayer plastic films List of symbols A Surface area of the polymer (m 2 ) C mo P1 Initial antioxidant concentration in the plastic film (mg kg -1 ) C m FS Migrant concentration in the food simulant (mg dm -2 ) c m P1 Migrant concentration in the polymer P1 (kg m -3 ) c m P2 Migrant concentration in the polymer P2 (kg m -3 ) c m FS Migrant concentration in the food simulant bulk (kg m -3 ) I-1076 Irganox 1076 D m,P1 Diffusion coefficient in the plastic film P1 (m 2 s -1 ) D m,P2 Diffusion coefficient in the plastic film P2 (m 2 s -1 ) EtOH Ethanol EVOH Ethylene vinyl alcohol HDPE High-density polyethylene J Mass transfer migrant in the polymers (kg m -2 s -1 ) K P1,P2 Distribution coefficient of the migrant compound between polymers P1 and P2 (non-dimensional) K P2,FS Distribution coefficient of the migrant between polymer P2 and food simulant (non-dimensional) L Film thickness (m) LDPE Low-density polyethylene MetOH Methanol M FS,t The migrant amount in the food simulant at time t (lg) M P Polymer film mass (kg) A. Torres  A. Guarda  M. J. Galotto (&) Food Packaging Laboratory (LABEN), (Nanoscience and Nano Technology Development Center) (CEDENNA), Technology Faculty, University of Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile e-mail: maria.galotto@usach.cl N. Moraga Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, University of La Serena, La Serena, Chile J. Romero Laboratory of Membrane Separation Processes (LABPROSEM), Engineering Faculty, University of Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile 123 Eur Food Res Technol (2012) 234:713–722 DOI 10.1007/s00217-012-1683-1