Tritan copolyester explained

Tritan, a copolymer offered by the Eastman Chemical Company since 2007, is a transparent plastic intended to replace polycarbonate, because of health concerns about Bisphenol A (BPA).[1] [2] Tritan is a copolymer made from three monomers: dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM), and 2,2,4,4-Tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (CBDO).[3] Tritan (PCTG) is made without using any bisphenols or phthalates.

Eastman Tritan cannot be used for hot beverages (like hot water, coffee or tea) and is recommended only for usage temperatures below 60 °C, as it starts to deteriorate at temperatures above 80 °C.[4] [5]

In April 2008, Nalgene announced it would phase out production of its outdoor line of polycarbonate containers containing the chemical bisphenol A.[6] Nalgene now uses Tritan as a replacement for polycarbonate, as it does not contain BPA.[7]

Health controversy

In 2011, a neurobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, George Bittner, published an article claiming that most polymers, including Tritan, contained other materials with estrogenic activity.[8]

After these claims were published by PlastiPure, an Eastman Chemical Company competitor, Eastman sued. A jury ruled in their favor, and the Court barred PlastiPure from making claims about triton's estrogenic activity. In expert testimony, Wade Welshon of the University of Missouri-Columbia, agreed that the Tritan copolymer is likely not estrogenic but that the estrogenic activity he found in five separate tests of Tritan products could be attributable to other chemicals added during manufacturing.

During the trial emerged that Thomas Osimitz an author of the journal article[9] that initially cleared Tritan of estrogenic activity was paid $10,000 by the company for the paper and that this was not disclosed in the Conflict of Interests section.[10] When Osimitz was questioned by Reuters he stated that the disclosure forms were "very confusing." Bittner maintains that his assays are more sensitive that the ones performed Osimitz et al.

Similar products

Other manufacturers have developed similar products including the French Arc Holdings's Kwarx since 2006,[11] the German (Leonardo) Teqton since 2009[12] and the South-Korean SK Chemicals' Ecozen, a glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) since 2010/2011.[13] Other manufacturers propose polypropylene (PP)[14] or methylstyrene (MS) as alternatives to Tritan.

Name confusion

Tritan[15] can also refer to a type of so called unbreakable glass originally developed by the German Zwiesel Kristallglas in 2002 together with University of Erlangen–Nuremberg.[16] [17] Its name is derived from titanoxide (titanium oxide in English). In 2012, the Zwiesel Kristallglas company introduced Tritan Protect.[17] [18] [19] Confusingly, although both are unrelated, Zwiesel Tritan glass and Eastman Tritan copolyester are both advertised as "shatter protected" and are used in the production of drinking glasses as replacements for traditional glasses, despite their different material properties.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Toxicology: The plastics puzzle . 2014 . 10.1038/508306a. Glausiusz . Josie . Nature . 508 . 7496 . 306–308 . 24740050 . 2014Natur.508..306G . 4454912 . free.
  2. Web site: Bisphenol A: Kunststoff mit Nebenwirkungen . 2024-02-29 . www.spektrum.de . de.
  3. Lack of androgenicity and estrogenicity of the three monomers used in Eastman's Tritan copolyesters . 2012 . 10.1016/j.fct.2012.02.010 . 22343188 . Osimitz . T. G. . Eldridge . M. L. . Sloter . E. . Welsh . W. . Ai . N. . Sayler . G. S. . Menn . F. . Toole . C. . Food and Chemical Toxicology . 50 . 6 . 2196–2305 .
  4. Web site: Tritan, Edelstahl oder Glas? Die Vor- und Nachteile der verschiedenen Trinkflaschen-Materialien . de . 2021-03-06 . boddels.de . 2024-05-15 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240119184409/https://www.boddels.de/blog/lifestyle/wissenswertes-ueber-tritan-1 . 2024-01-19.
  5. Web site: Is Tritan Plastic Better Than Traditional Plastic? . www.greenhive.io . 2024-05-15 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240501195737/https://www.greenhive.io/blog/tritan-plastic . 2024-05-01.
  6. News: Nalgene to Phase Out Production of Consumer Bottles Containing BPA . Reuters . 2008-04-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140430100623/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/18/idUS122181+18-Apr-2008+BW20080418 . dead . 2014-04-30 . PDF . 2013-02-07.
  7. Web site: Nalgene Choice . 2008-09-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160302033118/http://www.nalgenechoice.com/everyday.html . 2016-03-02 . Requires Adobe Flash.
  8. 10.1289/ehp.1003220 . Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem That Can be Solved . 2011 . Yang . Chun Z. . Yaniger . Stuart I. . Jordan . V. Craig . Klein . Daniel J. . Bittner . George D. . Environmental Health Perspectives . 119 . 7 . 989–996 . 21367689 . 3222987.
  9. Osimitz . Thomas G. . Eldridge . Melanie L. . Sloter . Eddie . Welsh . William . Ai . Ni . Sayler . Gary S. . Menn . FuMin . Toole . Colleen . 2012-06-01 . Lack of androgenicity and estrogenicity of the three monomers used in Eastman’s Tritan™ copolyesters . Food and Chemical Toxicology . 50 . 6 . 2196–2205 . 10.1016/j.fct.2012.02.010 . 0278-6915.
  10. News: Begley . Sharon . 19 July 2013 . Science for hire - Trial over plastic exposes disclosure deficit . live . https://archive.today/20241026025857/https://www.reuters.com/article/world/science-for-hire-trial-over-plastic-exposes-disclosure-deficit-idUSBRE96H051/ . 26 October 2024 . 26 October 2024 . Reuters.
  11. Web site: Carter . Felicity . 2006-05-23 . 'Unbreakable' glass launched . 2024-02-29 . Decanter . en.
  12. Web site: twenty4 - erste Glasserie von LEONARDO aus dem Glasmaterial TEQTON® - Pressemeldung vom 17.08.2009 . 2024-02-29 . www.perspektive-mittelstand.de.
  13. https://www.ferroplast.com/pdf/Ecozen_Brochure.pdf<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20221129003939/https: //www.ferroplast.com/pdf/Ecozen_Brochure.pdf -->
  14. Web site: Polypropylen statt Tritan . 2024-02-29 . ISYbe die nachhaltige Trinkflasche . de-DE.
  15. https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/302479139/DE<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20231229095306/https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/302479139/DE --> register.dpma.de
  16. News: Wohnen mit Glas . de-CH . Handelszeitung . 2024-01-10 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229095424/https://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/wohnen-mit-glas . 2023-12-29.
  17. Handelsblatt Unternehmensportrait "Schott Zwiesel – Das Kristallglas", 2012-12-18. https://www.handelsblatt.com/marken-des-jahrhunderts/unternehmensportraet-schott-zwiesel-das-kristallglas/7536832.html
  18. Web site: TRITAN Kristallglas - Zwiesel Kristallglas AG . de . 2020-09-29 . 2024-01-10 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200929133002/https://unternehmen.zwiesel-kristallglas.com/de/cms/innovations/success/tritan.html . 2020-09-29.
  19. Zwiesel Kristallglas AG (ed): Zwiesel Kristallglas AG. Perfektion und Leidenschaft. Print-Consult, München 2005. pp. 31, 49.

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