Dynamic accumulation method for measuring oxygen transmission rate of food packaging materials using florescence oxygen detection

摘要

A new dynamic accumulation method for measuring oxygen transmission rate (OTR) ofpackages and packaging films using fiber optic oxygen sensing technology has beendeveloped. The method allows for oxygen to transfer through a given area of packaging orsample film and accumulate in a given volume. The test volume incorporates a florescenceoxygen sensor that is measured using an optical fiber probe. The chamber is initiallypurged with nitrogen and then the sample is exposed to an oxygen rich gas, typically air orpure oxygen. Oxygen transfers through the sample and accumulates over time. The rate ofoxygen accumulation is measured and converted into an OTR measurement for the film atthe temperature studied. The new method allows for measurement of perforated films,which is not possible with the industry standard, steady-state, method described by ASTMD-3985. The new method, now embodied in commercially available instrumentationoffered by Oxysense, Inc. (Dallas, TX, USA) was tested against Mocon Oxtran 2/20(Mocon, Minneapolis, MN, USA) instruments (ASTM D-3985) at the University ofFlorida using films with approximate OTR values of 10, 1000, and 10,000 cc/m~2/day.Results showed that the new dynamic accumulation method provides comparable results tothe widely accepted steady-state method, but at significantly lower cost per measurement.