Product Code Database
Tritan, a copolymer offered by the Eastman Chemical Company since 2007, is a transparent plastic intended to replace polycarbonate, because of health concerns about Bisphenol A (BPA) in the latter. Tritan is a copolymer made from three Monomer: dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM), and 2,2,4,4-Tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (CBDO). Tritan or Pol Iy Cyclohexylenedimethylene Terephthalate Glyco (PCTG) is made without using any Bisphenol or phthalates.
Eastman Tritan cannot be used for hot beverages (like hot water, coffee or tea) and is recommended only for usage temperatures below 60 °C, as it starts to deteriorate at temperatures above 80 °C.
In April 2008, Nalgene announced it would phase out production of its outdoor line of polycarbonate containers containing the chemical bisphenol A. Nalgene now uses Tritan as a replacement for polycarbonate, as it does not contain BPA.
After these claims were repeated by Bittner's company PlastiPure, Tritan's inventor, the Eastman Chemical Company, sued PlastiPure. A jury ruled in Eastman's favor, and the Court barred PlastiPure from making claims about Tritan's estrogenic activity. In expert testimony, Wade Welshon of the University of Missouri-Columbia, agreed that the Tritan copolymer is likely not estrogenic, but that the estrogenic activity he found in five separate tests of Tritan products could be attributable to other chemicals added during manufacturing.
During the trial it emerged that Thomas Osimitz, an author of another journal article, the one that had initially cleared Tritan of estrogenic activity, was paid $10,000 by the company for the paper, and that this was not disclosed in the Conflict of Interests section. When Osimitz was questioned by Reuters he stated that the disclosure forms were "very confusing." Bittner maintains that his assays are more sensitive than the ones performed by Osimitz et al.
Since then, other work has shown that like other polymers, certain additives or impurities present in Tritan can migrate from the plastic into water held in a container made of the material. Among these are 2-phenoxyethanol (CAS Number ), dimethyl isophtalate (CAS ), 4-nonylphenol (CAS ), bisphenol A (CAS ) and butyl benzyl pthalate (CAS ). However, these were found in concentrations well below levels permissible by European Union regulations.
/ref> Other manufacturers propose polypropylene (PP) or methylstyrene (MS) as alternatives to Tritan.
/ref> Its name is derived from titanoxide (titanium oxide in English). In 2012, the Zwiesel Kristallglas company introduced Tritan Protect.Zwiesel Kristallglas AG (ed): Zwiesel Kristallglas AG. Perfektion und Leidenschaft. Print-Consult, München 2005. pp. 31, 49.
Confusingly, although both are unrelated, Zwiesel Tritan glass and Eastman Tritan copolyester are both advertised as "shatter protected" and are used in the production of drinking glasses as replacements for traditional , despite their different material properties.
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