Section 177.1660 - Poly (tetramethylene terephthalate)Poly(tetramethylene terephthalate) (poly (oxytetramethyleneoxyter-ephthaloyl)) [Chemical Abstracts Service Registry No. 24968-12-5] identified in this section may be safely used as articles or components of articles intended to contact food, in accordance with the following prescribed conditions:
(a)Identity. For the purpose of this section, poly (tetramethylene terephthalate) is the reaction product of dimethyl terephthalate with 1,4-butanediol to which may have been added certain optional substances to impart desired technological properties to the polymer.(b)Optional adjuvant substances. Poly(tetramethylene terephthalate) identified in paragraph (a) of this section may contain optional adjuvant substances. The quantity of any optional adjuvant substance employed in the production of the polymer does not exceed the amount reasonably required to accomplish the intended technical or physical effect. Such adjuvants may include substances generally recognized as safe in food, substances used in accordance with prior sanction, and substances permitted under applicable regulations in this part.(c)Specifications.(1) Inherent viscosity of a 0.50 percent solution of the polymer in phenol/tetrachloroethane (60/40 weight ratio) solvent is not less than 0.6 as determined using a Wagner viscometer (or equivalent) and calculated from the following equation: View Image
where:
Nr = Ratio of flow time of the polymer solution to that of the solvent and c = polymer concentration of the test solution in grams per 100 milliliters.
(2) Poly(tetramethylene terephthalate) in the finished form in which it is to contact food shall yield total extractives as follows: (i) Not to exceed 0.08 milligram per square inch of food contact surface when extracted for 2 hours at 250 °F with distilled water.(ii) Not to exceed 0.02 milligram per square inch of food contact surface when extracted for 2 hours at 150 °F with n-heptane.(iii) Not to exceed 0.04 milligram per square inch of food contact surface when extracted for 2 hours at 212 °F with 3 percent aqueous acetic acid.(iv) Not to exceed 0.02 milligram per square inch of food contact surface when extracted for 2 hours at 65.6 °C (150 °F) with 50 percent ethanol.42 FR 14572, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 50 FR 20748, May 20, 1985; 52 FR 20069, May 29, 1987