I-Corps: Measuring Parallel Permeation of Gases through Barrier Packaging Materials

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

The research team plans to further develop a technology for measuring permeation rates of gas mixtures through barrier materials. The team has built permeation testing equipment that utilizes an approach to interface a gas permeation test cell with a high vacuum mass spectrometer (MS). The cell/MS interface design reduces measurement delay time and enables real-time measurement of gas permeation using a MS detector. The result is a test system that can measure the permeation rate of any gas or gas mixture through barrier materials. This single-instrument system can measure the permeation of any gas, eliminating the need for separate pieces of equipment for each type of gas to be tested. The instrument can also measure permeation of gasses and gas mixtures for which there are few available instruments. The technology also enables multiplexing of many sample cells with one detector, leading to accelerated test throughput. The versatility and accelerated testing capability of this instrument has the potential to produce an increase in test result data per unit of personnel time and capital investment. There is a growing need to measure ultra-low rates of gas permeation due to advances in gas barrier performance of packaging materials. The technology is an enabling technology, which will give users new and more expedited technologies to test permeability and create new materials.