Standardization News

A new ASTM International test method helps identify leaks in packages, which is important for supporting quality and safety of various medical, pharmaceutical, and food products.

According to ASTM International member Larry Bishop, the “mass extraction container closure integrity test method” allows manufacturers to identify very small packaging defects without affecting a package’s contents (non-destructive test method). The process involves putting the package into a vacuum test chamber with an intelligent molecular flow sensor between the chamber and vacuum reservoir system to measure leakage.

“This method can be applied to identify leaks in a wide variety of packages,” says Bishop, vice president of engineering at Advanced Test Concepts. “Mass extraction can be configured to detect defects as small as one micrometer or larger depending on the containers leak tightness requirements. This level of sensitivity can be achieved in a relatively short cycle time.” He notes that other package leak detection systems capable of detecting this size defect have traditionally used tracer gasses such as helium.

The standard test method for nondestructive detection of leaks by mass extraction method (F3287) was developed by the committee on primary barrier packaging (F02).