Effect of Ethanol on the Sorption of Four Targeted Wine Volatile Compounds in a Polyethylene Film

The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that the presence of ethanol in a solution containing two esters and two aromatic alcohols has several consequences on the sorption of these compounds into polyethylene (PE) film. First, sorption of ethanol into the PE film occurred at the same time as water and reached 8 kg m(-3) using 12% v/v of ethanol. This sorption was associated with an increase in PE crystallinity, which may have prevented the sorption of volatile compounds despite their strong affinity with PE film, as evaluated by Hansen solubility parameters. Moreover, increasing the ethanol concentration increased the solubility of the four volatile compounds. In the case of aromatic alcohols, the sorption was decreased in the presence of ethanol as expected. In the case of esters, as their hydrolysis was substantial in the presence of water, the consequence was a higher sorption into the PE film in the presence of ethanol than in its absence. Nevertheless, the sorption also depended on the concentration of ethanol and the heterogeneity of the ethanol water mixture as well as the presence of other volatile compounds, as in the case of 4-ethylphenol. In conditions simulating wine packaging, losses of volatile compound by sorption and by permeation estimated after only 5 days of contact varied between 0.08 and 25% for 2-phenylethanol and ethyl hexanoate, respectively.