MOCON offers permeation testing of both film and finished packages and package integrity testing. As consultants MOCON provides advanced analytical measurement services, tailored to provide solutions to our clients’ problems and applications. MOCON offers labs in the United States, China and Germany with partner labs in Canada, Poland, India, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. MOCONs’ newest lab, Life Pack Labs is situated in Vista, California, USA and provides solutions that meet the specialized packaging design and validation requirements of the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.
Standard Permeation Rate Testing
MOCON’s Consulting & Testing Services offers standard permeation testing. These services are primarily accomplished on MOCON manufactured equipment for the testing of water vapor, oxygen and carbon dioxide transmission rates. They are performed in accordance with established industry accepted methods for both sample preparation and analysis.
Our labs are located all over the world with locations in Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, Germany, China, Canada, Switzerland, Poland, India and the United Kingdom. They serve a diverse client base, including pharmaceutical, medical devices, electronic manufacturers, food processors, the paper industry and various other specialty manufacturers.
Testing for…
- Water Vapor Permeation Rates
- ASTM E96
- ASTM E398
- ASTM F1249
- ASTM D6701
- Tappi T557
- Tappi T523
- ISO 15106
- JIS K7129
- Carbon Dioxide Permeation Rates
- WVTR down to 0.0005 gm/(m² • d)
- USP 661/671 testing
- Film thickness
- Oxygen Permeation Rates
- ASTM D3985
- ASTM F1307
- ASTM F2622-8
- ASTM F1927
- Testing of both flat films and packages
- OTR down to 0.0005 cc/(m² • d)
- Gelbo-Flex testing
- Headspace for O₂, CO₂ and CO
Advanced Permeation Testing
MOCON’s Consulting & Testing Services Group offers a wide range of “semi-standard” testing services. These are tests that MOCON is uniquely equipped to perform on a routine basis due to high industry demand.
Testing for…
- Film testing for N2TR
- Porous film WVTR (101K)
- Film testing for Wet CO₂
- Film testing of Aroma Component-TR (use AromaTran 1A or GC)
- Transient data and graphs
- Package and Film testing for CO₂ with humidity present
- P, S and D values of water vapor, O₂ and CO₂
- Testing beyond the standard temperature range of commercial instruments
- Film testing for Helium-TR, Argon-TR
- Testing of porous film or perforated film OTR, CO₂TR (Guard film method)
Shelf Life Optimization
MOCON’s Consulting and Testing Services Group address the Entire Food/Package Life Cycle.
MOCON has established a first-of-its-kind, one-stop approach for the analysis of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, etc. and related packaging from raw material to transport to shelf life.
MOCON’s reputation as setting the gold standard for packaging testing will now be expanded beyond our existing services of barrier analysis, headspace, water vapor, leak detection, burst, creep, hot tack, seal strength, coefficient of friction and vacuum decay and now provides a single-entry point for virtually any type of testing which can impact shelf life.
MOCON’s extensive package testing capability includes broad variety of types, substrates and components—flexible structures, rigid bottles, foil seals, pouches, aseptic boxes, trays and lidstock, etc.
Testing for…
- Microbial studies. Mold growth impact on shelf life/food safety issues.
- Chemical and physical analysis. Food products and packaging are reviewed for components, presence of contaminants and physical properties.
- MAP system audits. On-site evaluation of MAP system/equipment.
- Transportation testing. Vibration, drop and compression testing to simulate shipping conditions.
- Accelerating aging studies. Product/package evaluations to predict shelf life.
- Gas mix optimization. Determining the optimum gas mixture to meet modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) objectives.
- Shelf life optimization. In-depth study of product, process, package to help extend/maximize shelf life.
Package Integrity
Our testing laboratory has specialty testing for seal strength and leak detection. These tests are primarily performed on MOCON’s line of package integrity test instruments.
Testing for…
- Seal Strength:
- Burst open/closed with restraining plates ASTM F2054
- Burst open/closed without restaining plates ASTM F2095
- Leak Detection:
- Pressure Decay ASTM F2096
- Vacuum Decay
- Bubble Method ASTM D3078, ASTM F2096
- Trace Gas Helium ASTM F2391
- Internal Gas Head Space Analysis for Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Water Vapor and more…
- Pressure creep and creep to fail – ASTM F1140
- Tensile Bond Strength – ASTM F88
cGMP Permeation Test Services
MOCON maintains a cGMP test lab for water vapor and oxygen permeation testing for clients that require services performed under a strict quality management program, such as the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare related industries.
The main differences between cGMP and Standard Testing are:
- Organization and Personnel
- Quality Assurance
- Document Control
- Records Management
- Facility Conditions
- Equipment Control
- Analytical Methods
- Laboratory Procedures