Erucamide

Spectrometer Inletsystem Source Temperature Electron Energy Scan Range 

Physical Characteristics - Colourless liquid, mp -95 C, bp 136°C. - Soluble in most organic solvents. 

Physical Characteristics - Slightly yellow powder, mp 144 - 14d°C. - Not soluble. 

Current uses - Antistatic agent, lubricant, release agent. 

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There are a number of applications for the acid, outlined in Scheme 6.5. The current major use is in the production of erucamide, a slip agent used in the manufacture of polythene bags to make them open more easily. 

Analysts in industry prefer in many cases to maintain consistent methods for their analyses. Recommended ASTM analytical procedures are quite well developed in the rubber and polymer industry. As an example, we mention the standard test method for determination of phenolic antioxidants and erucamide slip additives in LDPE using liquid chromatography [76]. However, the current industry standard test methods (ASTM, AOAC, IUPAC, etc.) use a large number of solvents in vast... 

ASTM D 1996-97, Standard Test Method for Determination of Phenolic Antioxidants and Erucamide Slip Additives in Low Density Polyethylene Using Liquid Chromatography (LC), Annual Book of ASTM Standards, ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA (1997), Vol. 08.01. 

Nonvolatile compounds cannot be analysed unless pyrolysis or derivatisation converts them to a condition amenable to GC. Derivatisation GC (or LC) has been used for several components such as erucamide (imidi-sation for volatility), fatty amines (aromatic amidation for UV detectability), and polyethylene oxides (esterification for both volatility and detectability) [178]. The surface concentration of erucamide on extruded LLDPE films was determined quantitatively by surface washings with ether, followed by evaporation, dissolution... 

Figure 4.6 cSFC-FID chromatogram of a synthetic mixture of polymer additives. 1-21, Topanol OC, Tinuvin P/292/320/326 /328, Chimassorb 81, erucamide, Tinuvin 770/440, Irgafos 168, Tinuvin 144, Irganox PS 800/1076/MD 1025/245/1035/3114/PS 802/1330/1010, in this order. For conditions see Raynor etal. [343]. Reprinted with permission from Raynor etal., Analytical Chemistry, 60, 427-433 (1988). Copyright (1988) American Chemical Society... 

Hunt et al. [354] used cSFC for the separation of extracts of poly(alkylene glycol) lubricants and sorbitan ester formulations. Doehl et al. [337] have compared the performance of cSFC-FID and pSFC-FID with both scC02 and scN20 in the analysis of the antiblocking agents oleamide and erucamide, the antistatic Armostat 400 and antioxidant Hostanox SE-10, none of which can be detected by UV absorption. By using open-tubular capillary columns, PAs as well as (un)substituted heavy carboxylic acids (> C ) can be eluted. 

Squirrell [469] has mentioned TLC of commercial polymer additives (Topanol OC, DLTDP, DSTDP, Ionox 330, Irganox 259/288/1010/1076, Nonox WSP, Polygard, Santonox R, Tinuvin 326/327/328, Topanol CA, UV531, Hoechst D 55, oleamide, erucamide, Ethomeen T12, stearic acid, and others). A TLC procedure has also been described for identification of... 

The UV method performs well in the absence of interferences of other additives or pigments but is liable to be in error owing to interference by highly absorbing impurities that may be present in the sample or in the solvent [56,57]. Commercial erucamides with variable light stability have been analysed by means of SEC-UV (254nm)/RI and UV absorption in MeOH [58]. 

While pure erucamide does not exhibit absorption in the 250-280 nm range all commercial products showed UV absorption maxima at 230, 257, 267 and 278 nm (with variable intensities), indicative of the presence of oxidation products (up to 8 wt%) as impurities with chromophoric groups. Colourless impurities do not have an interference effect. 1JV/VIS was also used to evaluate discoloration of 50wt/wt% mixtures of commercial erucamide and inorganic antiblock agents [59]. Apart from the interference by impurities from solvents chemical methods suffer from lengthy procedures. 

On-line SFE-SFC has also been used for the quantification of erucamide and antioxidants in PE [110]. Cotton et al. [15] have reported quantitative extraction of additives from PP at five different extraction pressures, at a constant flow-rate and temperature. Below 50 atm, extraction was negligible between 50 and 200 atm, Tin-uvin 326 and 770 were extracted, along with small quantities of oligomers. Higher pressures lead to the extraction of all the additives present, with the integrated peak areas conforming well to the actual concentrations. 

A variety of 17 polyolefin additives (Tinuvin 328/P, Irganox 1010/1076/1330/3114, Irgafos 168, Isonox 129, Cyasorb UV531, MD 1024, BHT, BEHB, Lowinox 44B25, Succonox 16/18, Naugard 445, erucamide) were... 

Crompton [770] has described extraction of scraped TLC spots (Cyasorb UV531 and Ionol CP), followed by off-line IR analysis of KBr discs. Chalmers et al. [752] have used off-line TLC-DRIFT for extracted PP/(Irganox 1330/1010, Topanol OC, erucamide). Volatility of Topanol OC on the particle surfaces of the KC1 substrate highlights a limitation of the off-line TLC-DRIFTS technique. 

Figure 7.38 TLC-FTRS of erucamide (a) and Irganox 1010 (b), 200 ig each. After Everall el at. [779]. From NJ. Everall el at., Applied Spectroscopy, 46, 597-601 (1992). Reproduced by permission of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy...

Lubricants and slip Erucamide, oleamide, calcium stearate, zinc... 

Antiblock additives are often incorporated into packaging films to prevent them sticking together. Their effectiveness relates directly to the roughness they impart on a film surface while minimising loss in optical properties. They are often used in association with slip additives such as erucamide. Common antiblock additives include crystalline silica, diatomaceous earth and talc (magnesium silicate). 

To examine slip additive concentrations in packaging films (typically 300-700 ppm), solvent extraction is used to remove the additive from the film. Hexane/ isopropanol (30/70 v/v) can be used to extract oleamide (fast bloom slip), stearamide and erucamide (slow bloom slip) from polyolefin films. GC or LC-MS is then employed to analyse the concentration of the extracted slip additive. 

Slip additives act at the surface of a polymer film or article to reduce the friction between it and another surface. In a variety of plastics, such as polyolefins, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride, fatty-acid amides are applied as slip additives. Fatty-acid amides, such as oleamide, stearamide, erucamide, and oleyl palmitamide, are added to plastic formulations where they gradually tend to bloom to the surface, imparting useful properties including lubrication, prevention of films sticking together, and reduction of static charge. 

Fatty acid amides Stearamide, erucamide, ethylene bisstearamide (EBS), ethylene bisoleamide (EBO)... 

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