What are the types of Extractables/Leachables found in Plastics?
(A) This issue is not very easy. Actually almost all the potential extractables from plastics are nothing but additives in the plastic. Common additives are stabilizers such as BHT; lubricants in the form of calcium or zinc stearates, colorants etc. These additives commonly consist of both organic and inorganic components. Also, some plastic monomers could be made available for extraction in the final molded product. Occurrence of these extractables are in very minute concentrations (ppm or ppb). However for the extractables to be finally leach into fluids there are some conditions which must be met. These Conditions are – The extractables must be positioned on the surface of a plastic to remain in touch with the fluid. – The extractables must be soluble in the fluid. This means, though a plastic may contain an additive, there would be no such thing that it would be extractable in a specific fluid.
