Comparison of New Dynamic Accumulation Method for Measuring Oxygen Transmission Rate of Packaging against the Steady-State Method Described by ASTM D3985

A new dynamic accumulation method for measuring the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of packages and packaging films using robust and inexpensive fluorescence oxygen sensing technology has been developed. The method allows for oxygen to transfer through a given area of packaging or sample film and accumulate over time. The test volume incorporates a fluorescence-based oxygen sensor that does not consume oxygen and therefore does not interfere with the real-time measurement of oxygen concentration. The new method was tested against a widely used, commercially available instrument (Mocon Oxtran 2/20; Mocon, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) designed around the steady-state gas permeation measurement approach described by ASTM D3985. Sample films were chosen to provide comparison over several orders of magnitude of OTR. Specifically, sample films with OTR values in the range of 10(1), 10(3) and 10(4) ml O-2/m(2)/day were measured, and results using the two methods were compared. Results showed that the new dynamic accumulation method provides comparable results with the steady-state method (ASTM D3985). Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.