Line Lubricant Testing
Line Lubricant Testing
Line Lubricant Testing
PET Compatibilty
Testing
Recommended Method
ISBT Document: #
Revision: 1.0
© ISBT – 2007
International Society of Beverage Technologists
This document may not be reproduced in its entirety, except for the purpose of translating into
another language. Non-English translations must include the following statement:
‡ Original Source: ISBT ISBT Line Lubricant PET Compatibility Recommended Method Revision 0 © 2007.
The ISBT is not responsible for the accuracy of this translation from original English source text. It is up to the
user of this translated document to ensure that it corresponds with the most current version of the ISBT source
document.
Pur pose
The purpose of this test method is to measure the compatibility of chemical solutions with PET
bottles filled with carbonated soft drinks.
It is important that compositions are compared side by side to each other. Compatibility
of a current composition can be compared to that of a previously evaluated composition if both
compositions were run side by side against both a positive (bottles don’t break) and a negative
(bottles break) control.
1.0 Te s t i n g P r o c e d u r e
1.1 Materials
For each condition including controls, 4 bins of 24 bottles each will be tested. For each condition,
the following materials are required:
1. NaHCO3. Use Aldrich catalog number S6014 (Sodium bicarbonate ACS reagent, 99.7-
100.3%)
2. Deionized or distilled water
3. 96 twenty ounce bottles. Bottles should be less than 1 year old and should be stored at
below 80F until used.
4. Four standard bus bins. Use part number 5596325, available from Sysco, Houston TX.
5. Four heavy duty polyethylene trash bags.
6. Chemicals for generating CO2 in situ or carbonating equipment. In situ CO2 generation
requires 10.6 g sodium bicarbonate, 10.6 g citric acid, and approximately 150 g of ice per
bottle charged (1/3 pound).
7. Crown Cork and Seal 28 mm plain lined closures – part number PG-183.
8. Torque driver (manual or air driven)
9. Humidity chamber (capable to maintain 100F/85% RH)
2.0 Procedure
2.1 – Day 1
1. Charge bottles. When correctly charged, the bottles will have 70 psi gauge pressure at
70 F. Pressure should be measured using a Zahm-Nagel device that pierces the bottle
cap, and the bottle and Zahm-Nagel apparatus should be shaken after the cap is pierced
to equilibrate CO2 in the aqueous and gas phases. At altitudes greater than about 3000
feet, the bottles pressure should be measured at 100 F to minimize differences in gauge
pressure related to lower ambient barometric pressure.
a. Chemical carbonation: Charge bottle with 568 g of ice water, 10.6 g sodium
bicarbonate, and 10.6 g citric acid. Immediately after charging citric acid, seal the
bottle as quickly as possible. The best way to seal bottles is with an air driver with a
clutch that delivers a pre-set torque equal to 16 in-lb.
b. Direct carbonation: adjust carbon dioxide pressure, water feed rate, and water
temperature to achieve 70 + 2 psi gauge pressure in bottles at 70 F. Once the
correct pressure has been achieved in 5 successive bottles, begin filling bottles to put
on test. Save every 10th bottle for monitoring pressure using the Zahm-Nagel
c. 96 bottles should be charged for each test condition and each control
2. Rinse bottles with deionized water. In the case of chemically carbonated bottles, shake
to dissolve chemicals.
3. Age charged bottles overnight at room temperature.
4. Prepare chamber for use – the chamber should be equilibrated at 100F/85% RH.
Place bins and bottles into the humidity chamber at 100F/85% relative humidity.
3.0 Te s t C o m p l e t i o n
1. Empty bottles. Cut off and save bases.
2. Compile record of failures/day for each bin.
3. Report failure rate as number of failed bottles/96, soft bottles as number of soft
bottles/96, average temperature and standard deviation, and average % relative humidity
and standard deviation.