Determination of UV stabilizers in PET bottles by high performance-size exclusion chromatography.

A Size Exclusion Chromatography-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (SECHPLC) method to determine antioxidants and UV stabilizers in PET bottles has been developed. In only a single run a synthetic mixture of the stabilizers was separated and quantified. The detection limit obtained for BHT, Tinuvin 326, Cyasorb UV 5411, and Tinuvin P was about 0.1 microgram/g and for Irgafos 168 it was 1.0 microgram. RSD values were lower than 3%. Tinuvin P was identified and quantified in PET bottle extracts. Olive oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil showed well defined separation from Tinuvin P at the same conditions of analysis. Cyclic dimers were identified in the PET extracts.