News & Events

Q3 Permeation Products & Services Newsletter

Monday, October 10, 2022

MARKET TRENDS

Recycle-Friendly Carton Packages Remain Hot for Liquid Food Products

Tetra Pak technology is known for its famous tetrahedron-shaped package design, which provides protection to liquid food products such as milk, juice and water. These cartons not only use high-quality raw materials to guarantee food safety, but are also fully recyclable once emptied. More than 70% of the average carton package is made from paper fibers that can be recycled several times. The thin layer of polymers in beverage cartons can be blended with other polymers, giving them new life for other industrial applications. According to the latest industry study from Smithers Pira Data, there will be steady increase in demand of 4.5% per year for paperboard materials for liquid products due to their sustainability benefits.

Since paperboard packages need to protect the nutrition value and taste of liquids, it is important to test the oxygen barrier property of the finished package. AMETEK MOCON provides solutions to test formed packages with OX-TRAN analyzers and a specially designed test cartridge.

NEW TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTS

New OX-TRAN 2/48 Ambient OTR Package Testing Analyzer

This new analyzer is designed for whole-package permeation testing in the food, beverage and healthcare packaging industries. For these applications, knowing the total oxygen transmission rate through a package at various temperature and humidity conditions is critical to a product's shelf life.

Historically, testing the oxygen permeation of whole packages suffered from messy sample preparation, typically involving epoxy adhesives, tubing and fittings. These processes were laborious and made it difficult to get consistent and reliable results. The new OX-TRAN 2/48 provides a simpler, more streamlined way to test whole packages.

The OX-TRAN 2/48 offers high-capacity testing with 8-cells. Four of the cells are for testing OTR and another four cells provide accelerated conditioning for packages in parallel to testing. This allows the 2/48 to test more packages in less time than traditional package test instruments or methods. Applications for the OX-TRAN 2/48 include permeation testing of formed trays, bottles, cartons, flexible pouches, corks, caps, and more.

The OX-TRAN 2/48 uses MOCON’s industry-standard COULOX sensor and complies with ASTM D3985 for OTR measurements.

Click the link below to learn more.

Learn More

LATEST APPLICATIONS

How to Easily Test Permeation Rates for Beverage Packages

Testing the OTR (Oxygen Transmission Rate) for carton packages that are used to package liquid food products is an industry norm. First, to ensure the selected materials will be an adequate barrier for the product, the barrier properties of the flat stock paperboard materials must be tested. It’s equally important to test the barrier of the finished empty carton package to ensure it will maintain taste, appearance and nutrition value and meet the desired shelf life.

To view the application note that fully outlines this process, click the link below.

Read App Note

In additional to our whole-package permeation testing analyzers such as OX-TRAN 2/40 and 2/48, MOCON has also developed the new Carton Package Test Cartridge. This specialized cartridge was designed to make testing carton package permeation easier and more reliable. The Carton Package Test Cartridge (shown with sample below) is designed for sealed cartons (like those used for milk or juices), or containers with a flat side. No epoxy is needed, and the cartridge features a Truseal™ flush system at clamp location to ensure a leak-free seal every time, increasing accuracy and repeatability. An optional Sample Cutting Tool (above, left) makes sample prep more convenient. The carton package test cartridge can be used directly inside the OXTRAN 2/40 and AQUATRAN 3/40, or on the OX-TRAN 2/48. It can also be used with Film Analyzers (both Legacy and Next Gen) with the help of the PackRack fixture.

To learn more about accessories for permeation instruments, contact your local AMETEK MOCON sales representative.

UPCOMING EVENTS/VIDEO LINKS

MOCON Moving Forward: Test Multiple Packages Faster & Easier with the
OX-TRAN 2/48

OX-TRAN Screenshot

Global product manager Jeff Jackson explains how the new OX-TRAN 2/48 OTR analyzer improves on throughput and ease-of-use compared to the 2/61 legacy model. Click the link below to watch the full vlog.

Watch Vlog

Resource Library
Visit our Resource Library for white papers, application notes, technical notes and videos from the leading experts in permeation.

Read our latest Thought Leadership Article (TLA)!

Utilizing Our Testing Laboratory Services

AMETEK Lab Shot

Upcoming 2022 Permeation Exhibitions, Conferences and Trade Shows

Oct. 23-26 Pack Expo International (Chicago)

Pack your bags for the Windy City! Our team members hope to see you Oct. 23-26, booth 13020, for the 2022 Pack Expo International event in Chicago.