What smell can tell: using Magic Chemisorbers and GC/MS to capture and analyse volatiles off-gassing from plastic coatings

Olivia van Rooijen; Carien van Aubel; Suzan de Groot; Henk van Keulen

doi:10.14568/cp34833

Authors

Olivia van Rooijen van Aubel van Rooijen, Singel 135 HS, 1012 VJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Hobbemastraat 22, 1071 ZC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Carien van Aubel van Aubel van Rooijen, Singel 135 HS, 1012 VJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Suzan de Groot Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Hobbemastraat 22, 1071 ZC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Henk van Keulen Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Hobbemastraat 22, 1071 ZC Amsterdam, The Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14568/cp34833

Keywords:

Smell, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Plastic coatings, Magic Chemisorbers, Off-gassing

Abstract

Odour that may be released when opening packaging of plastic objects is often a concern for collection managers. Volatile compounds emitted by three separate plastic-coated textile objects from Centraal Museum Utrecht were identified. Samples are analysed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and (pyrolysis) Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Polar and apolar Magic Chemisorbers are used to trap volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that the plastic coatings are off-gassing. Two of the objects have a plasticised polyvinylchloride (PVC-P) coating giving off a faint chemically sweet smell, where the DEHP plasticiser is detected as the main off-gassing compound. The third object has a polyurethane (PUR) ester coating which has a very rancid smell, most likely a result of the off-gassing of butanoic acid and naphthalene derivatives. This pilot study shows that polar (PEG) and apolar (PDMS) Magic Chemisorbers are useful sorbents to trap compounds that are off-gassing from plastic coatings.

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