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Do you have a specific problem that does not relate to below stated solutions please do not hesitate to contact us. If we do not have a solution in stock there is always the possibility to develop a custom-tailored software solution for your specific purpose, which models the migration in the system “material – contact medium”.

Some examples will show you the wide range of possibilities of modelling:

  • Migration („single use“ und repeated use“) of substances from mono- and multilayer plastic materials or paper and board packaging materials;
  • Migration of substances from pipe materials in stagnant or flowing (drinking) water („single use“ und „repeated use“); KTW-Guideline and DIN EN 12873-1:2014 can be considered;
  • Migration of substances from plastic materials, which are used in concrete;
  • Migration of substances from plastic-pipes, -roof tiles, -window frames or recycling plastic materials into rain water (-> risk assessment of environmental impact);
  • Analysing accidents: a truck, which transports hazardous chemicals, has an accident. Parts of the cargo fall into a nearby flowing water (-> risk assessment of environmental impact);
  • Migration of substances from clothing materials; a risk assessment for wearing the cloth is included; sweat film and/or film of sun milk on the skin can be considered;
  • Modelling of gas permeation through special matrices; e.g. the permeation of gases through membranes for breathing valves used as a part of a respiratory protective device for fire fighters.

 History and current activities

There is scientific evidence that migration of e.g. additives, lubricants, oligomers, residual monomers, stabilizers, photoinitiators and plasticizers from e.g. plastics or paper and cardboards into different contact media like foodstuff, drinking water, air or soil can be calculated by using the appropriate theoretical model. Basically every model is based on the solution of specific mathematical formulas considering conditions of migration (time/ temperature) as well as physical parameters of the contact material and media.

Already in Directive EC 2002/72 of the European Union with focus on foodstuff plastic packaging materials was stated, that the verification of compliance with specific migration limits (SML´s) can be investigated and verified by scientifically proven diffusion models. This was adopted and enhanced by the European Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 Annex V, §2.2.3. Shortly the EU-Commission in cooperation with JRC-ISPRA published the “Practical guidelines on the application of migration modelling for the estimation of specific migration” in 2015 giving detailed assistance and information about in which case and in which way a migration modelling has to be performed for a compliance test for foodstuff plastic packaging.

FABES has been highly involved in the work process and consultations, which led to these legal obligations from the very beginning. The scientific basics and data for migration modelling were gathered around the turn of the millennium under the coordination of Dr. Piringer. At the same time FABES developed the user-friendly software MIGRATEST© LITE, which allowed the determination of the migration from monolayer plastics according to the above named directive. FABES is strongly engaged in the elaboration of the above mentioned “Practical guideline document”.

In addition FABES started more than 10 years ago to develop the user-friendly commercial software MIGRATEST© EXP, which allows e.g. the estimation and evaluation of migration of substances from mono and multilayer packaging materials into foodstuff and foodstuff simulants.

The estimation and evaluation of migration from plastics into drinking water was accepted as a valid testing method by the German “Federal Environment Agency” (Umweltbundesamt – UBA) in the “Guideline for the mathematical estimate of the migration of individual substances from organic materials in drinking water (Modelling guideline; „Leitlinie zur mathematischen Abschätzung der Migration von Einzelstoffen aus organischen Materialien in das Trinkwasser (Modellierungsleitlinie)“ – October 2008). FABES has been involved in the work process and consultations, which led to this Guideline. The current work to update this guideline is further supported by FABES. The software MIGRAPIPE© was developed to calculate migration under the migration conditions mentioned in this guideline. Currently FABES is engaged in updating above named Guideline to the state of the art of scientific knowledge and also to design it as a useful information tool for users of migration modelling in drinking water. In this context a user-friendly version of the software MIGRAPIPE© was developed.

Substances, which are used in production processes by the industry and which pose a risk for human health and environment, are the main subject of the “Reach-Directive” EC 1907/2006. In this context the migration of these substances from plastics and other materials into various contact media (soil, technological fluids, surrounding air, etc.) or into the human body is a crucial aspect. Therefore FABES developed the software-platform MIGRATEST© SUITE, which enables the theoretical estimation of above mentioned migration processes. For further information please check the brief description of MIGRATEST© XTR, MIGRATEST© SKN and MIGRATEST© SPH.

In the last years FABES also developed various software programs, which allow the calculation of migration scenarios, not directly related to legal obligations. The programs MIGRATEST© RU, MIGR-DISTRIBUTION, SIMAQUA-F and MIGRATEST© DDX are mainly for the purpose of research and development or can be used for the solution of specific migration problems. Please see the short descriptions of the software programs.