VIEW ARTICLE    DOI: 10.1094/ASBCJ-45-0014

Air Ingress in Packages Sealed with Crowns Lined with Polyvinyl Chloride. T. J. Wisk and K. J. Siebert, The Stroh Brewery Co., Detroit, MI. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 45:0014, 1987.

Gas chromatographic measurements of package headspace gases indicate that significant amounts of oxygen and nitrogen from air pass into bottles sealed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-lined crowns. This transfer occurs because of the difference in partial pressure of these gases inside and outside the package. The rate at which ingress occurs depends on the temperature, the type of gas, and the nature and dimensions of the barrier. For beer stored in air at room temperature in bottles sealed with PVC liners, the rate of ingress for oxygen or nitrogen is about 0.002 ml/day. This is larger than expected based on the permeability of PVC. The phenomenon is not observed in bottles sealed with aluminum spot crowns or in cans. Flavor evaluation suggests that flavor stability is reduced by oxygen ingress.

Keywords: Bottles, Diffusion, Liners, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Permeability