Line Lubricant

PET Compatibilty
Testing
Recommended Method

ISBT Document: #
Revision: 1.0
© ISBT – 2007
International Society of Beverage Technologists

Line Lubricant PET Compatibility Testing: Recommended Method

Copyright © 2007 by the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT).

All rights reserved.

Portions of this document may be used in other publications by including the

following statement: ‡ Original Source: ISBT Line Lubricant PET Compatibility Recommended Method
Revision 0 © 2007

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.

Complete English-language documents may be obtained online from the ISBT at

www.bevtech.org.

Revision # Release Date Revision Notes

Packaging Technical Committee, Line Lubricant Sub-
0 - Original 2007/10/01
committee recommended method.

International Society of Beverage Technologists

3340 Pilot Knob Road T : +1 – 352 – 382 - 2008
St. Paul, MN 55121 USA F : +1 – 352 – 382 – 2018
www.bevtech.org

Line Lubricant Compatibility Testing: Recommended Method

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International Society of Beverage Technologists

isbt@bevtech.org

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

Line Lubricant Compatibility Testing: Recommended Method

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International Society of Beverage Technologists

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.

2.2 Day 2 Prepare test solutions

1. Positive deionized water control – use either deionized or distilled water
2. Negative 100 ppm alkaline solution control - (100 ppm alkalinity as CaCO3) – dilute 0.168
g of Aldrich catalog number S6014 NaHCO3 to 1000 g with deionized or distilled water.
3. Test lubricant test solution – dilute the lubricant concentrate with the correct amount of
either deionized water or 50 ppm alkaline water to give the expected use concentration of
lubricant.
4. Comparison lubricant test solution – the test lubricant solution can be compared head to
head against a comparison lubricant test solution instead of against controls. In the case
of head to head lube comparisons, positive and negative controls can be omitted. To
prepare the comparison lubricant test solution, dilute the lubricant concentrate with the
correct amount of either deionized water, 50 ppm alkaline water, or ISBT recommended
alkaline water (the same diluent must be used as for the test lubricant solution in step 3.
above) to give the expected use concentration of lubricant.

2.3 Dip bottles and place in bins

1. Use polypropylene garbage bags to line bins.
2. Place approximately 132 g of test solution into a cylindrical container approximately 6
inches in diameter. The height of the liquid should be sufficient that a bottle can be
dipped in to a depth equal to the seam between the base and the sidewall.
3. Dip each charged and aged bottle into the test solution and swirl for about 2 seconds and
place directly into lined bin.
4. Once all 24 bottles are in a bin, pour the remaining part of the 132 g solution.
5. Repeat steps i. – iv. for three times for each composition prepare in a. above until a total
of four bins of 24 bottles each has been prepared for each experimental condition and
each control.

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International Society of Beverage Technologists

Place bins and bottles into the humidity chamber at 100F/85% relative humidity.

2.4 Day 3 and Subsequent Days

1. Daily (except on weekends and non-working days) – check each bin for failed bottles and
soft bottles and record. Failed bottles are those that have lost liquid contents through
cracks at the base. Soft bottles are those that have lost pressure either through cracks
above the liquid level or through the closure but have not lost liquid. Continue testing of
bottles for 28 days.

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.

4.0 Data anal ysis

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