Modelling Gas Transmission in Cylindrical Dynamic Accumulation Oxygen Transmission Rate Chambers to Explore Implications of Oxygen Sensor Location Relative to Samples

A model was developed to simulate oxygen accumulation in space and time within cylindrical dynamic accumulation chambers that are used to measure oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of materials. The model is based on Fick's law of diffusion and was validated against actual OTR measurements of polym...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Packaging technology & science 2014-08, Vol.27 (8), p.651-662
Main Authors: Abdellatief, Ayman, Welt, Bruce A., Butler, Jason, McLamore, Eric, Teixeira, Arthur A., Shukla, Sanjay
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chambers
Computer simulation
D3985
Deviation
dynamic accumulation
Dynamics
oxygen
Packaging
Permeation
Sensors
transmission
Walls
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Summary:A model was developed to simulate oxygen accumulation in space and time within cylindrical dynamic accumulation chambers that are used to measure oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of materials. The model is based on Fick's law of diffusion and was validated against actual OTR measurements of polymer film samples. Measured OTR values and thicknesses were inputted into the model and oxygen concentrations outputted by the model. OTRs determined from the output of the model was in close agreement to within 0.3–3% of the measured OTR. Oxygen concentration versus time curves generated from model output oxygen concentrations and experimentally measured oxygen concentrations for three actual films were also in agreement. The model was then used to simulate results from three hypothetical test films at varying chamber lengths in order to evaluate effects of accumulation chamber dimensions relative to films on resulting OTR measurements. A typical design scenario was used, where the oxygen sensor is mounted on the chamber wall opposite the sample film. Results demonstrate that dynamic accumulation OTR instrument designers have considerable flexibility in choosing accumulation chamber dimensions because deviations in OTR are only expected to occur at impractically extreme chamber lengths (>10 m) for the entire envelope of OTRs expected for typical packaging films. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The simplifying assumption of ‘well mixed’ gas for the dynamic accumulation method for oxygen transmission rate measurements was found to be robust. Conclusions suggest that permeation chamber size and geometry are not too critical for practical instrument design. These findings also confirm applicability of the dynamic accumulation method for oxygen transmission rate measurements in actual packages.
ISSN:0894-3214
1099-1522
DOI:10.1002/pts.2059