Molecular background of the undesired odor of polypropylene materials and insights into the sources of key odorants

Screening the volatiles isolated from a standard polypropylene material consisting of a polypropylene homopolymer, the filler talcum, and a mixture of antioxidants, for odor-active compounds by application of an aroma extract dilution analysis revealed 30 odorants with flavor dilution factors ranging from 1 to 64. Eighteen odor-active compounds were subsequently quantitated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using stable isotopically substituted odorants as internal standards, and their odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated as ratios of the concentrations to the odor threshold values. Five odorants showed OAVs ≥1, among which were hex-1-en-3-one (OAV 12), butanoic acid (OAV 3), as well as 4-methylphenol, butan-1-ol, and 2-tert-butylphenol (all OAV 1). A comparative analysis of polypropylene materials with different additives suggested plastic-like, pungent smelling hex-1-en-3-one as an ubiquitous key odorant. Odor-active amounts of alkylphenols, in particular plastic-like, phenolic smelling 2-tert-butylphenol, were additionally formed in the presence of talcum and phenolic antioxidants. Whereas the precursors of the phenols were thus obvious, the origin of hex-1-en-3-one was unknown. Injection molding showed only little influence on odorant concentrations.