Investigation of the oxygen depletion properties of novel oxygen‐scavenging plastics

The oxygen depletion and tensile properties of EVA resins blended with varying compositions and sizes of iron (Fe), modified iron (MFe) and ascorbic acid (Vc) oxygen scavengers were systematically investigated. After blending Vc together with varying sizes of MFe in EVA resins, “synergistic” oxygen depletion properties were found in each E VcMFe‐30 , E VcMFe‐5 , and E VcMFe‐1 series samples, as their weight ratios of Vc to MFe are between 3/7 to 5/5, 3/7 to 7/3 and 1/9 to 9/1, respectively. The oxygen depletion rates of E VcMFe series samples increase significantly as the particle sizes of MFe powders reduce. In fact, the oxygen‐scavenging resins with better oxygen depletion properties always result in lower peroxide values for modeled food samples stored in the airtight flasks of E VcMFe series samples. Further tensile experiments show that the tensile properties of the E VcMFe series samples increase significantly as their Vc loadings or the sizes of the MFe powders reduce. To understand these interesting oxygen depletion, lipid oxidation, and tensile properties of E VcMFe series samples, SEM and EDX analysis of the compositions on the surfaces of E VcMFe series samples were performed. Possible mechanisms accounting for these interesting properties of E Vc , E Fe , E MFe , and E VcMFe series samples are proposed.