Applying the Arrhenius equation, a prediction of shelf life may be made by determining the IP of a given sample at different elevated temperatures and extrapolating the data back to determine what the IP would be at any other given temperature - see figure 2.
This method may be used to provide an indication of ambient shelf life within a short time frame, caution should however be exercised as this technique tends to under-predict shelf life. This is because at higher temperatures alternative reaction pathways with higher activation energies may come into play, phase changes may occur in the sample and in addition, thermal degradation of the antioxidant itself is a possibility. Nevertheless it is a useful comparative tool - the test becomes more powerful when a comparison is made between new and aged batches or various addition rates of the same antioxidant.
The time and effort needed to perform this test is significantly less compared to when such a test is performed under normal storage conditions, following the peroxide- and anisidine value in time.
Vitablend will use this technique to select and optimise the right antioxidant for your specific application to maximise shelf life.