Influence of the Beverages on Physicochemical Properties of Various Resins for the Industrial Beverage Equipments

Abstract

The industrial beverage equipments are producing and dispensing various kinds of beverages such as alcohol containing beverages, coffee, fruit juice beverages, and soft drinks.  These equipments are composed of many functional components that are directly contacted with the beverages as well as various kinds of resins that are used according to their uses. Since many of these parts are often used as pressure vessels, various complaints for the crack, discoloration, swelling, and etc. due to deterioration of resins may occur in these parts under various environments. In the present study, as the first step, the influence of the beverage syrups on the polycarbonate, which has been conventionally used in the beverage equipments, was examined in the physicochemical properties and the coloring degree. As the second step, the influence of the syrups on the hydrophobic nylon materials, which are being used as an alterative material to polycarbonate, were examined. Moreover, the swelling and the changes on the physicochemical properties in various kinds of resins by alcohol containing beverages such as shochu and vodka were also examined since alcohol containing beverages have been recently dealt with the industrial beverage equipments.