Vapor permeability measurement in the Laboratory
 
InstrumentstestingSensorsGasses and vapoursConsultancy

 

About Versaperm

Versaperm manufactures gas permeability testing equipment, offers a comprehensive permeability testing service and a materials consultancy. These are used to measure gas permeability and leakage, important in medical and pharmaceutical packaging, foils and films, coatings, food and confectionery packaging and contents, and many other applications.

Instruments

Versaperm designs and manufactures instruments to meet each customer’s needs. Instruments are typically be based on a modular MkVI design.

Testing Service


Our laboratory testing service has over 30 years experience to enable us to choose the best technique to measure your sample's permeability both quickly and accurately.

 

Sensors

Our diverse and growing range of sensors are based on fundamentally different and divergent physical principals. The choice of the right sensor for an application is critical in the successful deployment of the equipment. We are not tied to a sensor manufacturer.

Gases / Vapours

At Versaperm we can measure the permeability for almost any gas / vapour including water vapour, Oxygen, CO2 Hydrogen, Helium, Nitrogen and Hydrocarbons.

Applications

Consultancy

Our Consultancy division combines our theoretical and practical Permeability skills in instrument design and manufacture. Permeability Consultancy

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Laboratory (R&D) Permeability measurements

For sensitive Water Vapour, Hydrocarbon, O2, N2, He (and other), vapour permeability testing in the QC or R&D laboratory

Our new permeability meter allows your Laboratory to measure the vapour permeability for a wide range of gases, including O2, N2, He, Hydrocarbons gases and water vapour.

The equipment quickly and reliably measures the permeability and diffusive flow of vapours across samples, finished packages, seals, containers, flat samples, equipment etc.

 Laboratory R&D Permeability Measurement

Our permeability meter needs no re-calibration and requires, at most, minimal training to give results that can be as accurate to better than one part per million (with some samples a few parts per hundred million).  Sensitivities are in the range 0.05 – 3200g/m2/day depending on the gas, material under test and sensor used.

Its computerised control makes it simple to operate. Additionally we offer a comprehensive permeability laboratory testing service for permeability measurements

Comparison of Typical WVTR’s

Material Relative Permeability*
Cold Form Foil 0
CTFE 0.02
COC 0.24-0.29
Polychlorotrifuoroethylene (PCTFE or Aclar) 0.16
Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC or saran) 0.2
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) 1.2
Polypropylene (PP) 1.6
Good Vapour Barrier materials
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 5.2
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) 4.8
Low vapour-barrier materials
Polyvinyl choride PVC 16
Acrylonitrile copolymer (Barex) 20
Polyamide (PA or Nylon) 100


*Best Vapour-barrier materials Relative Permeability based on Polyamide at 100%

Laboratory (R&D) permeability testing

Semi-permeable membranes permit certain molecules or ions to pass through them by diffusion (and occasionally by specialized "facilitated diffusion").  Permeability is a measure of the rate of passage through the membrane and depends on the pressure, concentration, and temperature of the molecules or solutes on either side, as well as the permeability of the membrane.  This measurement is frequently required has become easy, quick and reliable to measure in the R&D or QC laboratory..

Click here for the Wikipedia article on the permeability of semi-permiable membranes

Click here for a press release on Permeability measurement in the laboratory (R&D)

Click here for an article on permeability measurement

Versaperm Limited
10 Rawcliffe House, Howarth Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1AP, UK, Tel: +44 1628 777668
e.mail: webcontact@versaperm.com
© Versaperm Limited 2010