Investigations into the Potential Abrasive Release of Nanomaterials due to Material Stress Conditions-Part A: Carbon Black Nano-Particulates in Plastic and Rubber Composites

Plastic and rubber based composites containing carbon black (CB) were investigated for the potential to release CB nano-particulates under stress conditions into food simulants. Nanocomposites were exposed to thermal, chemical, and mechanical stress, followed by mechanical abrasion of their surface. Particle sensitive asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) with multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detection was used to detect and quantify CB nano-particulates. This study demonstrates that, even under dynamic stress conditions, CB nano-particulates are not released from the plastic or rubber compounds into food. This study intends also to propose a general nano-release stress test protocol for plastic materials coming into contact with foodstuff.