Structural analysis of white powder residues on the surface of caps


A bottle cap manufacturing plant noticed the appearance of white powder on its finished products.
This disorder is not usual and has only occurred on a production batch. In an improvement process, this manufacturer must therefore understand the origin of this deposit.
He therefore called on the Polymex Laboratory to carry out a structural analysis of these residues.
Recherche composés irritants

How did we do it?

The non-compliant sample first underwent a solid / liquid extraction in a suitable solvent in order to recover the components which would be at the origin of this deposit.
This extract was subsequently analyzed in Py / GCMS to confirm the presence of a single compound, then in UPLC / TOF-MS to quantify the molecule or molecules responsible for the deposit.

The UPLC / TOF-MS analysis consists of injecting the liquid preparation resulting from the washing of the sample in the liquid chromatography, allowing the separation of all the semi-volatile organic molecules by the chromatographic column.
The molecules undergo ionization allowing their detection in the MS time-of-flight: TOF detector, giving access to the molar mass of the molecular ion.


Analyse par UPLC/TOF
In this case two types of caps were analyzed UPLC / TOF-MS:
- A witness cap with no trace of deposit
- A stopper presenting the deposit

These analyzes revealed a much greater quantity at the surface of Erucamide [112-84-5] stoppers in the non-conforming stopper compared to the conforming stopper.

Our team then made two hypotheses:
1) Erucamide [112-84-5] present in healthy corks would have migrated from the heart to the surface of the corks following a thermal shock (increase then sudden decrease in temperature or vice versa)
2) Erucamide [112-84-5] was overdosed during the manufacture of the batch of non-compliant stoppers, therefore inducing the appearance of this deposit.
Thanks to the Polymex team, the manufacturer now has avenues to explain the appearance of this residue and can therefore remedy this non-compliance as quickly as possible!

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