ASTM F1927 Transmission rate of oxygen gas permeability test

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ASTM F1927 Humidity-Controlled Oxygen Transmission Rate Tester | UnitedTest

UnitedTest manufactures high-precision ASTM F1927 compliant oxygen transmission rate testers with coulometric detection, designed for accurate oxygen barrier performance testing of flexible barrier materials under precisely controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions.

ASTM F1927-20 Standard Test Method is the authoritative global standard that utilizes a professional coulometric detector to evaluate oxygen permeation properties of flat barrier films and composite structures. It accurately measures four critical barrier parameters: oxygen gas transmission rate (O₂GTR), oxygen permeance (PO2), permeation coefficient (P''O2), and oxygen permeability coefficient (P'O2).

This humidity-controlled oxygen barrier test covers a wide range of industrial materials, including barrier films, multi-layer laminates, coextruded structures, plastic-coated paper, and plastic-coated fabrics. By stabilizing temperature and relative humidity (RH) during testing, ASTM F1927-20 delivers realistic, repeatable oxygen permeability data that simulates actual service environments, ideal for material R&D, packaging certification, and industrial quality control.

Core Test Principle

The test shares the fundamental coulometric electrochemical detection principle as ASTM D3985, but adds integrated humidity control systems to both gas streams:

Specimen is mounted as a sealed semi‑barrier between two diffusion‑cell chambers at ambient pressure.

Carrier side = N₂ + 0.5–3% H₂, conditioned to target T and %RH.

Test‑gas side = O₂, same T as carrier but may have a different %RH — this is the key F1927 feature: "the environment would more closely simulate actual shelf conditions."

O₂ permeates through the film into the N₂ carrier, is carried to the coulometric detector → output current ∝ O₂ arriving.

Specimen is pre‑equilibrated at the target T% RH before starting — whole test runs at constant T and constant RH (warns against elevated‑temp outgassing, because RH is T‑dependent).

Test Specimen Specifications

Test films must be fully representative of production rolls, sampled across both width and length to capture consistent material performance. Specimens must be free of wrinkles, pinholes, scratches and creases unless such defects are the explicit focus of testing.

Cut flat film pieces matching the diffusion cell circular test area, trimmed to avoid edge leakage during clamping.

Thickness measurement: Take minimum 5 evenly distributed readings across the test region; record max, min and average thickness. For fragile metallized or ultra-thin coatings, measure thickness after O₂GTR testing to prevent caliper pressure damage to barrier layers.

Mark asymmetrical films to record which side faces oxygen gas in the final test report (critical for directional barrier materials like coated PET or EVOH laminates).

Required Test Equipment of ASTM F1927 Transmission rate of oxygen gas permeability test

Recommend UnitedTest Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) Tester;

Diffusion cell	Two metal halves, defines circular area (typical 100 cm² or 50 cm²). Each half has temp control + RH measurement & control. Volume not critical but should allow rapid gas exchange without film touching walls.
O‑ring	Neoprene O‑ring in grooved O₂ (test‑gas) side. Test area = inside contact diameter of compressed O‑ring imprint.
Raised rim	On N₂ (carrier) side — smooth, flat, no radial scratches (critical sealing surface).
Pneumatic fittings	Each half has intro/exhaust fittings, leak‑free.
Temp control	±0.5 °C (critical: RH can vary 5% RH/°C in certain regions)
RH detectors	Water‑sensitive solid‑state devices in bothupper and lower cell halves. Periodically calibrate against E104 saturated salt solutions or NIST‑traceable devices. Placement matters — RH shifts if RH source and cell T differ.
Catalyst bed	0.5% Pd on alumina on carrier side → scrubs residual O₂
Coulometric sensor	Same constant‑efficiency Faraday sensor (95–98%)
Multiple cells	Manifold‑valved to one sensor (practical for throughput)

Standard Test Parameters:

Parameter	Standard Stipulations
Relative Humidity Range	Independent RH control on oxygen and nitrogen sides: 0% – 90% RH
Temperature Control	±0.5°C precision, operable 4–65°C; recorded to nearest 0.5°C
Nitrogen Carrier Flow	Steady test flow: 5–15 mL/min; standby purge <5 mL/min
Equilibration Time	Thin low-barrier films: 30–60 min; thick multi-layer/high-barrier films: hours to days. Verify steady state by bypassing sensor for 2–8 hours then rechecking signal consistency
Oxygen Partial Pressure Gradient	Default 1 atm pure oxygen vs zero oxygen on carrier side; diluted O₂ gas permitted for poor barrier films to avoid sensor saturation
Interference Limits	Minimize CO₂, chlorine and strong oxidants in gas streams to prevent sensor electrolyte degradation

Full Standard Test Procedure of ASTM F1307 Packages Oxygen transmission rate test by coulometric sensor

Step 1 Apparatus Pre-Drying & RH Setup

If prior tests left residual moisture in gas lines, purge the full system overnight with dry nitrogen, bypassing the coulometric sensor.

Fill oxygen and nitrogen humidifier reservoirs with triple-distilled water; set target RH values for each gas stream via RH controllers and allow RH readings to stabilize fully.

Verify RH sensor accuracy against saturated salt calibration standards if drift is observed.

Step 2 Specimen Mounting

Bypass the sensor to avoid oxygen overload during clamping.

Apply thin hydrocarbon sealing grease to the nitrogen-side raised rim of the diffusion cell.

Place trimmed, defect-free film specimen flat on the greased surface, avoid wrinkles; clamp cell halves tightly to form a full airtight seal. Record film orientation (coated/metallized side facing oxygen or nitrogen).

Step 3 System Purging & Zero Baseline (Eo) Establishment

Purge both cell chambers with humid nitrogen carrier gas at 5–15 mL/min for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Redirect humid nitrogen flow through the coulometric sensor and monitor voltage output until a stable flat zero baseline Eo is achieved (thick high-barrier films may require overnight purging). Record Eo.

Step 4 Introduce Oxygen Test Gas & Capture Steady-State (Ee)

Switch the oxygen chamber supply from nitrogen to pre-humidified pure oxygen test gas.

Continuously track sensor voltage signal; the reading will rise and slowly plateau as oxygen diffusion reaches equilibrium.

Confirm true steady state: Bypass the sensor for 2–8 hours, reactivate flow and confirm voltage returns to the identical plateau value. Record stable steady-state voltage Ee.

Step 5 Standby & Shutdown

Cut oxygen test gas supply, switch cell chambers back to full nitrogen purge.

Reduce nitrogen carrier flow to <5 mL/min for standby mode to conserve gas and protect the sensor.

For long idle periods, power down temperature and RH controls after maintaining slow nitrogen purge for 1–2 hours.

Step 6 Calculation & Formal Reporting

Compute O₂GTR, permeance (optional), permeation coefficient and permeability coefficient (only homogeneous films) and compile all mandatory metadata into a compliant test report.

Related Test Standard:

ISO 15105-1	Plastics - Film and sheeting - Determination of gas-transmission rate - Part 1: Differential-pressure methods
ISO 15105-2	Part 2 – Equal-pressure method. adopting carrier gas equal-pressure principle instead of differential vacuum; complementary testing route for gas permeability measurement.
ASTM D3985	Standard Test Method for Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film and Sheeting Using a Coulometric Sensor
ASTM F1307	Standard Test Method for Oxygen Transmission Rate Through Dry Packages Using a Coulometric Sensor
ASTM F1927	Standard Test Method for Determination of Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate, Permeability and Permeance at Controlled Relative Humidity Through Barrier Materials Using a Coulometric Detector
JIS K 7126-2	Plastics -- Film and sheeting -- Determination of gas-transmission rate -- Part 2: Equal-pressure method
DIN 53380-3	Testing of plastics - Determination of gas transmission rate - Part 3: Oxygen-specific carrier gas method for testing of plastic films and plastics mouldings
ASTM F2622	Standard Test Method for Oxygen Gas Transmission Rate Through Plastic Film and Sheeting Using Various Sensors
GB/T 1038.2	Plastics—Film and sheeting—Determination of gas-transmission rate—Part 2:Equal-pressure methods
GB/T 19789	Packaging material—Test method for oxygen gas permeability characteristics of plastic film and sheeting—Coulometric sensor

Keywords: UnitedTest ASTM F1927 tester, ASTM F1927 oxygen transmission rate tester, coulometric oxygen permeability test machine, humidity-controlled O2GTR testing equipment, ASTM F1927-20 RH controlled oxygen barrier test, flat barrier film oxygen permeance and permeability tester, coextrusion and laminate oxygen transmission analyzer, plastic coated paper fabric oxygen permeation testing machine, temperature and humidity controlled coulometric oxygen detector equipment

Adopts advanced electrochemical coulometric detection method for accurate, time-efficient oxygen transmission rate analysis for medium and high barrier packaging materials. Conform with ISO 15105-2, ASTM D3985. Key testing indicators Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR), oxygen volume passing through.

Gas Permeability Tester is a multi-functional lab instrument dedicated to gas barrier performance testing, gas transmission rate (GTR). Conform to ISO 15105-1, ISO 2556, ASTM D1434, Widely adopted as standard QC testing equipment for flexible packaging, plastic manufacturing and new energy sectors.

Q1. What is ASTM F1927 in one sentence?

A1: It's D3985 with humidity control added — same coulometric (Faraday) principle and same film/sheet/laminate specimen family, but both sides of the diffusion cell can be set to independent, controlled %RH (0% to 90%) so you measure O₂GTR at the RH conditions that actually exist in real packaging, not just "dry best‑case."

Q2: Why is ASTM F1927 far more critical than dry OTR testing (ASTM D3985) for most food & pharmaceutical packaging?

A2: Humidity destroys barrier performance of key polymers: EVOH, nylon, PVDC-coated films lose 10–100× oxygen barrier ability when exposed to high humidity. Dry D3985 test data massively overestimates shelf life and leads to wrong packaging design decisions.

Simulates actual product storage: Most fresh food, moist snacks, liquid cosmetics, and water-sensitive pharmaceuticals create asymmetric humidity gradients inside packaging (high RH inside pouch, moderate RH outside), which F1927 uniquely replicates by setting separate RH levels for oxygen and nitrogen gas streams.

Accurate shelf-life prediction: Humidity is a major co-factor of oxidation degradation; F1927 produces humidity-adjusted O₂GTR data to calculate realistic product shelf life instead of theoretical dry-state performance.

Detects hidden coating defects: Micro pinholes, metallization cracks, and laminate delamination only show high oxygen leakage under humid conditions, which dry testing cannot identify.

Contract & regulatory compliance: Regulators and packaging suppliers require humid OTR data for moist goods to validate barrier protection, and F1927 interlaboratory precision data supports contractual arbitration.

Q3: What film materials can be tested with ASTM F1927?

A3: All flat barrier substrates including:

Single-layer films: PET, PP, PE, nylon, EVOH, PVDC

Multi-layer coextrusions & adhesive laminates (meat/seafood packaging structures)

Metallized films, coated paper, plastic-coated woven fabrics

All specimens must be flat cut sheets (not finished 3D pouches/bottles – those use ASTM F1307).

Q4: What flow and equilibration time rules apply for F1927?

A4: Nitrogen carrier steady flow rate: 5–15 mL/min; standby purge flow <5 mL/min to block air back-diffusion.

Initial nitrogen purge of both cell chambers: minimum 30 minutes before capturing zero baseline Eo.

Equilibration time varies by film: thin low-barrier films stabilize in 30–60 min; thick high-barrier EVOH laminates may take multiple days.

True steady-state validation rule: Bypass the sensor for 2–8 hours, then reactivate – if the voltage matches the prior plateau, equilibrium is confirmed.

Q5: What unique hardware makes F1927 different from ASTM D3985 instruments?

A5: Dual independent humidifier units for oxygen test gas and nitrogen carrier gas, using triple-distilled water to avoid mineral buildup.

Built-in solid-state RH probes mounted directly inside each diffusion cell half, calibrated via saturated salt solutions per ASTM E104.

Separate RH controllers to adjust each gas stream’s RH independently from 0% up to 90% RH.

Precision temperature control (±0.5°C) because RH readings shift up to 5% per °C fluctuation without tight thermal regulation.

All other core coulometric components (catalyst bed, flowmeters, sensor, recorder) are shared with D3985 systems.

Q6: Why must nitrogen gas keep flowing through the instrument during standby?

A6: Continuous low nitrogen purge stops atmospheric air and ambient oxygen from leaking into tubing, humidifiers, and the coulometric sensor. Uncontrolled air ingress dries the sensor’s KOH electrolyte, reduces sensor efficiency, and creates falsely elevated zero baseline (Eo) values for subsequent humid tests.

Q7: What is the key difference between ASTM D3985, ASTM F1927, and ASTM F1307?

Standard	Sample Type	Humidity Capability	Core Use Case
ASTM D3985	Flat film only	Strict dry (<1% RH) only	Dry packaging material screening, lab reference calibration
ASTM F1927	Flat film only	Independent 0–90% RH on both sides	Moist food/pharma film simulation, humidity-dependent barrier testing
ASTM F1307	Complete 3D packages (bottles/pouches)	No controlled RH; dry interior only	Whole-package seal/closure oxygen leakage testing

Q8: Which industries rely heavily on ASTM F1927 testing?

A8: Fresh & moist food packaging: Meat, seafood, cheese, bread, coffee, ready meals, produce bags (high internal pouch RH drastically reduces EVOH/nylon barrier performance).

Pharmaceutical & medical packaging: Moisture-sensitive oral drugs, blister laminates, diagnostic kit barrier films, sterile medical packaging.

Flexible laminate R&D: Metallized films, water-based barrier coatings, multi-layer EVOH/nylon coextrusion development.

Wet cosmetic packaging: Cream sachets, liquid makeup, wet wipe outer laminates.

Third-party testing labs, packaging material supplier-buyer quality arbitration, and regulatory compliance documentation for moist food contact materials.

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