Composition, Morphology, Optical, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Yogurt Containers

Abstract

The morphology, composition, optical, thermal and mechanical properties of two randomly selected commercial yogurt containers, container 1 and container 2 were determined using advanced analytical techniques in the present study. The container 1 which was based on polypropylene labelled as “5 “had 18.1 % CaCO3 and 1.2% TiO2. On the other hand container 2 which was based on polystyrene labelled as “6” had 1.2 % TiO2, CaCO3 and olivine. The melting point of container 1 was 166.4 oC and the glass transition point of container 2 was 99.9oC. The surface of the container 1 was smoother than the container 2 with the average surface roughness values of inside surfaces 10.3 and 19.4 nm respectively. Both containers were white in color and had very low values of light transmission. The samples had close values of tensile strength and tensile modulus. The presence of fillers made the containers had lower tensile strength and higher stiffness than their base polymers. the future recycling methods for yogurt packing materials. The containers labelled as “5 “and “6” should be collected separately from the source since they will have different processes for reuse.