Polymer Testing
Gas Permeability Testing Equipment
Understanding how gases pass through packaging materials is essential for developing products that protect their contents, extend shelf life and meet increasingly demanding quality standards.
Whether you’re developing high-barrier packaging, validating new materials or carrying out routine quality control, accurate gas permeability testing provides valuable insight into material performance throughout the product lifecycle.
Buckham supplies advanced gas permeability testing equipment from PermTech, helping manufacturers, laboratories and research organisations accurately measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour and hydrogen transmission through films, packaging and containers. Our experienced team works closely with customers to recommend solutions that support research, product development and quality assurance.
Overview
Barrier testing for packaging, research and material development
Whether you’re developing high-barrier packaging, validating new materials or carrying out routine quality control, accurate permeability testing provides valuable insight throughout the product lifecycle.
What is gas permeability testing?
Gas permeability testing measures the rate at which gases pass through a material.
For manufacturers of plastic films, flexible packaging and polymer materials, this information is critical in understanding how effectively a material protects the product it contains.
Barrier properties directly influence product quality, shelf life and packaging performance. By measuring oxygen transmission rates (OTR), carbon dioxide transmission rates (CO₂TR), water vapour transmission rates (WVTR) and hydrogen permeability, manufacturers can compare materials, optimise formulations and validate product performance before production begins.
Gas permeability testing is commonly used to evaluate:
• Plastic films
• Multilayer barrier films
• Bottles & closures
• Food packaging
• Flexible packaging
• Laminated & co-extruded
• Pharmaceutical packaging
Benefits
Why invest in gas permeability testing equipment?
Accurate permeability testing supports product development, quality assurance and continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing process.
Improve Packaging Performance
Understanding barrier properties allows manufacturers to select materials that provide the right level of protection for each application.
This is particularly important where oxygen or moisture ingress could reduce product quality or shelf life.
Support Product Development
Material development often involves comparing multiple formulations before selecting the most appropriate solution.
Reliable permeability testing provides the data required to make informed development decisions with confidence.
Improve Quality Control
Routine testing enables manufacturers to monitor production consistency and identify material variations before they affect finished products.
Support Sustainability
Developing thinner, lighter and more sustainable packaging requires confidence that barrier performance has not been compromised.
Permeability testing helps manufacturers evaluate alternative materials while maintaining product protection.
Meet Industry Standards
Many industries require packaging materials to meet recognised performance standards.
Modern gas permeability testing equipment provides repeatable measurements that support validation, compliance and customer assurance.
Selection
Choosing the Right Gas Permeability Testing Equipment
Selection depends on material type, gas being measured, laboratory workload, required standards, packaging format and future testing requirements.
Selecting the right testing equipment depends on a number of factors, including:
- Material type
- Gas being measured
- Laboratory workload
- Required testing standards
- Packaging format
- Research or production application
- Future testing requirements
Buckham works closely with customers to understand these requirements before recommending the most appropriate testing solution.
Applications
Our Gas Permeability Testing Solutions
Buckham supplies a comprehensive range of gas permeability testing equipment from PermTech.
Solutions are available for measuring:
Oxygen permeability (OTR)
Carbon dioxide permeability (CO₂TR)
Water vapour transmission (WVTR)
Hydrogen permeability
Multi-gas permeability
Complete barrier property analysis
Our equipment supports both routine laboratory testing and advanced research applications across a wide range of industries.
Machine in Action
Volpak pet food pouch packaging in operation
Applications
Which Industries Use Gas Permeability Testing?
Gas permeability testing supports organisations where packaging performance and material quality are critical.
Food & Beverage
Evaluate barrier performance to help maintain product freshness and maximise shelf life.
Pharmaceutical
Measure packaging performance where product protection and stability are essential.
Packaging Manufacturers
Develop and validate new barrier films and flexible packaging materials.
Electronics
Assess advanced materials used within specialist electronic applications and protective packaging.
Research & Development
Support the development of new polymer materials and sustainable packaging technologies.
Support
Supporting packaging innovation and quality assurance
Modern packaging materials are expected to deliver exceptional performance while using less material and supporting sustainability objectives.
Gas permeability testing provides manufacturers with the information needed to compare materials, improve packaging performance and validate new product designs before they reach production.
By integrating permeability testing into product development and quality assurance processes, organisations can improve consistency, reduce waste and make better-informed engineering decisions throughout the product lifecycle.
Gallery
Barrier testing in the laboratory
Industry
Supporting growth in the pet food industry
Consumer expectations continue to evolve, with increasing demand for premium products, recyclable packaging, improved convenience and greater product variety.
Modern packaging automation helps manufacturers improve efficiency, reduce waste and introduce new packaging formats while maintaining consistently high production standards.
By selecting the right packaging equipment, manufacturers can improve productivity today while creating a platform for future growth and product innovation.
Why Buckham
Why choose Buckham?
Choosing laboratory testing equipment involves more than selecting an instrument.
Understanding your materials, testing methods and long-term objectives is equally important.
Buckham works with leading manufacturers including PermTech to recommend testing solutions that are tailored to each customer’s individual requirements. From equipment selection through to installation, training and ongoing support, we help laboratories and manufacturers invest in testing equipment that delivers reliable performance and long-term value.
Frequently asked questions
What is gas permeability testing?
Gas permeability testing measures how quickly gases pass through packaging materials, films and polymer products to assess barrier performance.
Why is gas permeability important?
Understanding barrier properties helps manufacturers improve product protection, extend shelf life and optimise packaging materials.
Which gases can be measured?
Modern testing equipment can measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour and hydrogen permeability, depending on the instrument selected.
Which industries use gas permeability testing?
Gas permeability testing is widely used within food packaging, pharmaceuticals, polymer manufacturing, research laboratories and packaging development.
How do I choose the right gas permeability tester?
The most appropriate instrument depends on the materials being tested, the gases to be measured, laboratory throughput and applicable testing standards. Buckham can help identify the most suitable solution for your application.
Speak to Buckham about your laboratory processing requirements
If you’re looking to invest in laboratory mixing and extrusion equipment or expand your polymer research capabilities, we’d be pleased to discuss your requirements.
Our experienced team can help you identify the most appropriate COLLIN laboratory processing solution for your application, supporting research, innovation and product development now and into the future.