Mass Transfer Analysis of Film Barrier Materials, 1998 Polymers, Laminations & Coatings Conference Proceedings

The mass transfer properties of a material are one of the more important measures in packaging science. With a complete analysis, one can determine the interaction of that material with the intended contents as well as the environment. Shelf life estimation, flavor interactions, and product safety are all effected by these interactions.

The primary compounds of interest in these studies are moisture and oxygen, mainly because of their abundance in the atmosphere and their detrimental effect on most products. These compounds have been routinely evaluated for decades and numerous data bases for a host of polymers are available. Recent instrumentation advancements have also led to evaluations of flavor and other organic compounds.

Historically, the measurement value of interest has been the permeation coefficient or transmission rate of a compound through a material in the steady state. Recent advancements in measurement methodology have led to new interest in other mass transfer parameters. These include the solubility and difhrsion values, values which provide insight and engineering predictions of the transient state as well as the steady state.