Permeation TestingHeat Seal TestingPackage Integrity TestingFriction TestingPhysical Strength TestingSurface and Optical Testing

RDM LAB is the largest UK based Test House for Mocon Permeation Barrier Testing, complemented with Physical Testing equipment for flexible materials and complete packages.

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Expert Testing For Your Films and Packaging

Our expert team provide thorough permeation and physical testing services to help you identify potential issues before they affect your products. Whether you’re testing for barrier performance or package integrity, we offer timely results and expert advice to give you confidence in the materials you use and meet your regulatory requirements

Mocon Aquatran 338 WVTR tests
The LAB

We offer a range of testing services in the material testing lab, including  Mocon permeation, heat seal, friction, package integrity, physical strength, and surface and optical testing, to ensure the quality and performance of your materials and packaging

Results

The time frame varies based on the type of service. For most projects, initial results may be visible within a week of receiving the samples. Permeation testing can take a little longer, as some samples need to test for a full 120 hrs to provide sufficient information for our experts to gauge material barrier performance. while full outcomes take longer.

Consultancy

Tackling materials-related issues can be complex and time-sensitive. That’s why we offer a free consultation to discuss your specific needs and identify how we can support you. In addition to expert guidance, we ensure your materials barrier challenges and physical testing requirements are addressed promptly and effectively.

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Getting started is simple! Click to contact us or use the “Easy Step” section a little further down this page to request your test.

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Frequently Ask Questions for Premeation

Permeation is the movement of gas and vapor through a barrier such as the wall of a bottle. It is driven by the permeant concentration gradient that always happens from the permeant’s high concentration side to the low concentration side.

For example, imagine there is a bottle of carbonated soft drink. The CO2 within the product is about 4 atm (when it is freshly filled) while the CO2 concentration in environment is less than 0.5% in the air. Therefore, the CO2 will permeate from inside bottle towards the outside. Similarly, the oxygen from room air will permeates from the outside of the bottle to inside. Although permeation process is invisible, it can be detected by the CO2 concentration loss over time. Or, simply you can taste the soft drink. The flat taste of the liquid indicates the loss of CO2 which lead to the loss of its premier quality or shelf life.

Permeation is affected by the environment factors such as temperatures, relative humidity (RH), as well as the driving force around it. Here are some important generalities:
For every 10°C increase in temperature, transmission rate doubles.
Humidity will cause Non-Fickian behavior for hydrophilic materials (e.g., EVOH with moisture)
Transmission rate is proportional to the driving force
Transmission rate is reversely proportional to the material thickness
Therefore, testing at controlled test temperature and relative humidity is crucial for obtaining accurate transmission rate results.

Permeation is also influenced by the nature of polymer and permeant and their interactions. Some factors include but not limited to:
Chemical substituent on polymer backbone
Degree of packing, crystallinity, and orientation of molecular chains
Susceptibility to moisture and other possible interactants with the chains (e.g., EVOH with moisture)
Polymer surface contacting permeant
Additives used in manufacturing or modifying polymer
The polarities of the polymer and the permeant.

Different molecular structures of polymer films decide how the polymer reacts to moisture around it. Some barrier materials, called Fickian materials, would not be affected by the change of RH. Their OTR results obtained at different RH would be the same. These are usually polyolefins, or any material with hydrophobic nature.

The other type of materials, called Non-Fickian materials, which are sensitive to moisture or hydrophilic. Their OTR results measured at different RH could be very different. The humidity would swell up the polymer chains and make it more permeable for gases going through. In this case, OTR testing should be set with precise RH so that their worst performance can be known during real life applications. The following graph shows examples how OTR of polymer materials affected by RH.

permeation testing can be done with Equal Pressure Method , or Differential Pressure Method.

The Equal Pressure Method is also called Isostatic Method. During the test, as shown on the graph below, both sides of the film are exposed with equal pressure of test gas and carrier gas, usually atmospheric pressure. The driving force is the test gas partial pressure or concentration difference across the film. The continuous carrier gas flow takes the permeated test gas molecules to the sensor for quantification. Some popular ASTM standards commonly used to quantify transmission rate are ASTM D3985, F1249, etc.

The Differential Pressure Method is also referred to as Manometric Method. During the test, as shown on the graph below, one side of film on that side of chamber is exposed to a flow of test gas (e.g.: O2, CO2), the other side of the chamber is usually vacuumed. The gas permeation across a film is driven by a difference in absolute pressure across the film. The permeation of the test gas is determined by measuring the pressure change over time in the lower pressure side and finding the slope of the change once it becomes linear. The common ASTM example is ASTM D1434.

The permeation of a material is obtained via the transmission rate test. The transmission rates for oxygen (OTR), water vapor (WVTR) and CO2 (CO2TR) can be measured by permeation instruments with different sensor technologies. The setup for analyzing a film for transmission rate is analogous to the diagram shown for the diffusion mechanism, i.e. test gas on one side of a film and a carrier gas on the other side. This setup is so called Iso-static method (aka Equal Pressure Method). The carrier gas (usually Nitrogen) carries the permeated test gas to the sensor for quantification.

Some instrument examples are:
MOCON OX-TRAN® 2/22for OTR testing
PERMATRAN-W® 3/34 for WVTR
PERMATRAN-C® for CO2TR

During a package design process, the barrier properties of the packaging material meant how much protection it can provide, which is the key to a product’s shelf life.

As an essential part of the R&D process, analyzing films and/or components (bottles, closures) are useful for selecting package candidates. However, permeation rates in finished packages could be much higher due to damages caused during manufacturing, shipping, and distribution.

To obtain the true permeation rates into a package, only by analysing the “Whole Package” can one understand the package system of sealed and integrated components, along with potential “wear and tear” effects due to processing and distribution.

To protect the product’s quality, oxygen barrier packaging materials are widely used for products that are sensitive to oxygen. Consequently, accurate Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) measurement is important when assessing oxygen barrier properties during the selection of packaging materials, as well as QA/QC process down the road.

ASTM approved two distinct test methods for determining oxygen transmission rates of packaging materials: ASTM D3985 – 05 (Reapproved 2010) – “Standard Test Method for Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film and Sheeting Using a Coulometric Sensor” and ASTM F2622 – 08 – Standard Test Method for Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film and Sheeting Using Various Sensors.

Obviously just from the titles you can see the major difference of the two methods is about the sensor, “Coulometric, “ vs “Non-Coulometric”

ASTM E96, also called the gravimetric or cup method, is a common method used to determine the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of high transmitting plastic barrier or nonwoven materials. In spite of its popularity, there is a more accurate and user-friendly way to measure a high WVTR is the method described in ASTM D6701, which corresponds to the PERMATRAN® 101K produced by AMETEK MOCON.

When testing a membrane with a very high transmission rate, the air gap between the test material and the water or desiccant used in the cup method is itself a significant barrier. The larger the air gap, the less water vapor will permeate through it.

ASTM D6701 is an instrumental method with the modified inverted cup and guard film concept, so that it eliminates the air gap issue completely, and gives more accurate WVTR results.

Easy Step Process

Getting the results you need for your material and package testing is quick and hassle-free. Just follow the steps below, and we’ll take care of the rest—so you can stay focused on your projects while we handle the testing and deliver the insights you need

1

CHOOSE YOUR TEST

Check out the different testing services we offer below, click the one that fits the testing you need, and move on to step 2

2

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU NEED

After selecting your test, just fill out the form to let us know exactly what you need.

3

SEND US YOUR SAMPLES

We’ll get in touch with a quote and let you know what we need. Then, just send us your samples, and we’ll get to work on delivering your results.

If you’re not sure what testing you need or have any question, contact us and the team will be happy to help.

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RDM Test Equipment
Unit 39 Golds Nurseries Business Park
Jenkins Drive
Elsenham
Hertfordshire
CM22 6JX

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