Significance and Use

With the proper precautions and background experience, results can be useful for estimation of the loss of a packaged product through the walls of a container during shelf storage. The test is also useful for isolating the effects of a container design and materials, and is applicable for development and research and for specification purposes.

In the absence of adequate supporting data, extrapolations or correlations of results to conditions beyond those of the test are not recommended because of possible product alteration, solvency, or chemical effects on the plastic, etc.

Before proceeding with this test method, refer to the specification of the material being tested. Any test specimen preparation, conditioning, dimensions, or testing parameters, or combination thereof, covered in the materials specification shall take precedence over those mentioned in this test method. If there are no material specifications, then the default conditions apply.

1. Scope

1.1 This test method covers procedures for determining the permeability of thermoplastic containers to packaged reagents or proprietary products under specified conditions of exposure. The exposures used are intended to simulate the normal and elevated temperature-storage conditions that might be encountered in end-use application.

1.2 This test method is applicable only to those types of containers designed to allow positive, leakproof closure.

1.3 Two procedures are provided:

1.3.1 Procedure A is specific to testing only with a standard design container. This procedure provides for determinations of rate of weight loss (or gain) and for calculation of a permeability factor.

1.3.2 Procedure B applies to tests of all other container designs. Permeability data by this procedure are expressed only in terms of rate of weight loss (or gain) for the particular container tested.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.

Note 1There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing

D1505 Test Method for Density of Plastics by the Density-Gradient Technique

D4976 Specification for Polyethylene Plastics Molding and Extrusion Materials

E145 Specification for Gravity-Convection and Forced-Ventilation Ovens

Keywords

containers; permeability; plastic bottles; Exposure tests--plastics; Permeability; Plastic bottles; Reagents; Thermoplastic containers;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 55.040 (Packaging materials and accessories)

DOI: 10.1520/D2684-10

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM D2684