GAS TRANSMISSION - PERMEABILITY
Oxygen Transmission Rate - OTR
The transmission (or permeation) of oxygen gas through packaging materials has a major affect on the package shelf life.
Oxygen gas is passed over one side of the sample, while nitrogen flows over the other side; then out to a Mocon coulometric sensor. The sensor measures oxygen permeating through the sample which appears in the nitrogen stream.
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ASTM Methods: F1927, D3985, or F1307.
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Usual Units: cm³/m².day for films or cm³ /day for packages.
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Test Instruments: Four Mocon Ox-Tran 2/21 modules.
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Test temperature and humidity vary to suit end-use application.
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Common conditions are 23°C, 0% Relative Humidity (dry), or 75% RH, or others.
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Application: Plastic films, sheets, whole packages, bottles, tubs, trays, taps, foils, coated materials etc.
Water Vapour Transmission Rate - WVTR, MVTR
The transmission (or permeation) of water vapour through barrier materials causes unwanted absorption of moisture into items like dry foods, pharmaceuticals, building materials.
Water vapour transmitted through the sample is measured by a Mocon modulated infra-red detector.
ASTM Method: ASTM F1249, usual Units: g/m².day for films or g/day for packages.
Test Instruments: Three Mocon Permatran W3/31-3/33 modules.
We also use gravimetric methods including ASTM E96, and some USP methods.
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Test temperature and humidity vary to suit end-use application. Common conditions for films are 38°C, 90% Relative Humidity or 100% RH. Common conditions for packages are 23°C, 100% RH.
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Application: Plastic films, sheets, laminates, whole packages, bottles, trays, foils, coated materials, construction industry membrane materials, etc.