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Q2 Permeation Products & Services Newsletter

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Permeation Quarterly Newsletter

ametekmocon.com • June 2020 • Issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE


 

  • Current Market Trends - Trends Towards Sustainable Packaging
  • New Products & Technology - Does Your Package Provide the Shelf Life You Require?
  • Applications Knowledge - The Role of Nonwovens in Medical Masks
  • Events & Resources - Latest Videos, Webinars & Events

CURRENT MARKET TRENDS


Trend Towards Sustainable Packaging

One of the hottest trends in the packaging market today is “Sustainability”. To address the ever-increasing crisis of plastic pollution and overflowing landfills, researchers and innovators are working to develop more eco-friendly packaging materials.

  • Universities and scientists are working on post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics to grant these used materials a new life and reduce landfill.
  • Paper, being a bio-based material is eco-friendly and compostable, but by itself is not a good barrier to protect a product’s shelf life. With innovative coatings, however, paper-based materials are gaining more share in the packaging material market.
  • Resin manufacturers and plastic converters have been developing new bio-based/compostable materials. One widely used new bio-based material is Polylactic Acid (PLA). Additional materials are under development around the world.
  • To help improve barrier properties of bio-based films, it is now accepted to combine traditional high barrier materials such as EVOH at less than 5% or add a layer of metallization and allow the final composite material to be considered bio-based.

The common challenge for all these new materials is the need to provide adequate barrier properties to protect the product. Permeation testing is a critical element in the development of these new packaging materials in both film form as well as in their final complete package configuration to ensure the products can meet the desired shelf life target. AMETEK MOCON can help you verify your packaging on everyday production and innovations.

NEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY


Does Your Package Provide the Shelf Life You Require?

Admit it, whenever we buy a food product, we glance at the shelf life date on the package. This is the assurance the product will look and taste good when we want to enjoy it

But how do we know if the package will provide the protection that we need through to the date on the package? Whole package OTR testing is the answer!

In the past, testing complete packages was challenging and unreliable. Recently MOCON has introduced a new solution to this challenge. The new OX-TRAN 2/40 Oxygen Permeation Analyzer is designed to test complete packages easily and reliably under controlled conditions. This new OTR analyzer integrates 4 cell testing capability into a precision environmental chamber. The combination provides efficient and repeatable OTR testing for complete packages.

To address the challenge of reliable package mounting, MOCON has introduced a new innovative series of test cartridges. These cartridges allow packages to be mounted easily and reliably. Multiple designs can accommodate a wide range of package types and sizes. From 3-liter bottles to flexible pouches or from single serve coffee cups to cartons and trays, these cartridges are easy to mount and provide reliable seal for accurate and repeatable test results. The integrated cartridge versions even eliminate the need for epoxy. No more messy epoxy clean ups!

Both analyzers utilize our next generation analytics that significantly reduces the sensor exam time while still providing the accurate and reliable results that has made MOCON the most popular permeation analyzers for over 55 years.

It's digital controls and automated software reduce overall testing time for packages allowing more testing to be done than traditional methods. Check out the details by clicking the button below or contact your local sales representative.

Watch our latest OX-TRAN 2/40 video!

Discover how the NEW OX-TRAN 2/40 Permeation Analyzer for testing finished packages can help you achieve fast and accurate testing for a variety of packages at once.

APPLICATIONS KNOWLEDGE


The Role of Nonwovens in Medical Masks Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nonwoven material has recently gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In the medical battlefield, it is protecting the world in the form of masks and other personal protection equipment (PPE).It is important to have the breathable mask block the liquid droplets while letting moisture vapor easily escape to prevent buildup between the face and mask. The rate at which the moisture can leave the mask is measured as water or moisture vapor transmission rate (WVTR or MVTR).

AMETEK MOCON’s PERMATRAN-W 101K Analyzer is the only available instrument that can test WVTR of porous materials, such as the nonwoven layer in a mask, according to the ASTM D6701 standard. The analyzer uses a unique testing configuration that maintains constant 100% RH throughout the test period providing the most accurate and repeatable results. The unique design allows measurement of true permeation through the samples that reflect real-life situations for these types of high transmitter moisture barriers.

EVENTS AND RESOURCES


A LOOK AT OUR PAST EVENTS

2020 SINGLE SERVE CAPSULES CONFERENCE - AUSTIN, TX I MARCH 3-4

AMETEK MOCON participated in the 2020 Single-Serve Capsule Conference at Austin, TX. Georgia Gu, our Sr. Applications Specialist, gave a presentation at the conference entitled “In Search of a Greener Capsule”. She discussed the OTR test results from bio-compostable coffee capsules and presented a coffee capsule specific test cartridge that can be used with the OX-TRAN 2/40 OTR Analyzer.


2020 PACK EXPO EAST INNOVATION STAGE - PHILADELPHIA, PA I MARCH 3-5

We participated in the Pack Expo East trade show. Mike Kragness presented on the topic of “Understanding the barrier Challenge of Sustainable Packaging”. The presentation covered Bio-based material, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) barrier analysis, as well as validation of new materials for MAP integrity.


POLYPACK 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE - MAY 15, 2020

Georgia Gu, AMETEK MOCON's Global Applications Specialist was part of the panel of speakers giving a presentation on performance testing for package designs.

AMETEK MOCON I www.ametekmocon.com

7500 Mendelssohn Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55428 USA