Migration of monomers and primary aromatic amines from nylon products

Migration of 2 kinds of monomer and 21 kinds of primary aromatic amines (PAAs) from 21 kinds of nylon products such as turners, ladles and wrap film were determined. Samples were classified as regards materials by mean of pyrolysis-GC/MS. One sample was classified as nylon 6, 15 samples as nylon 66 and three samples as nylon 6/66 copolymers, while two samples were laminate of nylon 6 with polyethylene or polypropylene. All of the nylon 66 samples contained a small amount of ε-caprolactam (CPL), which is the nylon 6 monomer. Migration levels of monomers and PAAs at 60°C for 30 min into 20% ethanol were measured by LC/MS/MS. CPL was detected at the level of 0.015-38 μg/mL from all samples, excluding one wrap film sample, and 1,6-hexamethylenediamine was detected at the level of 0.002-0.013 μg/mL from all nylon 66 samples and one nylon 6/66 sample. In addition, 0.006-4.3 μg/mL of 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane from three samples, 0.032-0.23 μg/mL of aniline from four samples, 0.001 μg/mL of 4-chloroaniline from two samples, and 0.002 μg/mL of 2-toluidine and 0.066 mg/mL of 1-naphthylamine from one sample each were detected. The migration levels at 95 or 121°C were about 3 and 10 times the 60°C levels, respectively.