ASTM_F_3039_-_15.pdf

Designation:F303915Standard Test Method forDetecting Leaks in Nonporous Packaging or Flexible BarrierMaterials by Dye Penetration1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F3039;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 Method A of this test method defines a procedure thatwill detect and locate a leak equal to or greater than a channelformed by a 50 m 0.002 in.wire in the edge seals of anonporous package.A dye penetrant solution is applied locallyto the seal edge to be tested for leaks.After contact with thedye penetrant for a minimum specified time,the package isvisually inspected for dye penetration or,preferably,the sealedge is placed against an absorbent surface and the surfaceinspected for staining from the dye.1.2 Method B for this test method also defines a procedurethat will detect and locate a leak equal to or greater than 10 m0.00039 in diameter in a nonporous flat sheet.The flat sheetis placed on an absorbent surface and then a dye penetrant isspread across the surface of the sheet,preferably using a smallroller to apply pressure on the sheet to ensure adequate contactbetween the absorbent surface and the bottom surface of thesample being tested.The flat sheet is carefully removed and theabsorbent surface is inspected for staining from the dye.1.3 These test methods are used for both transparent andopaque nonporous surfaces.1.4 These test methods require that the dye penetrant havegood contrast to the materials being tested and/or the absorbentsurface.1.5 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound unitsare to be regarded separately as standard.The values stated ineach system may not be exact equivalents;therefore,eachsystem shall be used independently of the other.Combiningvalues from the two systems may result in non-conformancewith the standard.1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E171 Practice for Conditioning and Testing Flexible BarrierPackaging2.2 ANSI Standards:3Z1.4 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection byAttributes3.Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 dye penetrantan aqueous solution of a dye and asurfactant designed to penetrate and indicate a defect.4.Significance and Use4.1 Contaminants may enter the package through leaks.Alternatively,product may be lost from the package throughleaks.These leaks are frequently found at seals betweenpackage components of the same or dissimilar materials.4.2 Ingress or egress of gas or moisture through leaks in apackage can also degrade sensitive contents.4.3 There is no general agreement concerning the level ofleakage that is likely to be deleterious to a particular package.However,since these tests are designed to detect leakage,components that exhibit any indication of leakage may berejected.4.4 These procedures are suitable for use to verify andlocate leakage sites.They are not quantitative.No indication ofleak size can be inferred from the test.Therefore,this methodis employed as a go/no-go test.4.5 These tests are destructive.No package or componenttest samples exposed to dye penetration testing may be used forfinal product packaging.1This test method is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F02 on FlexibleBarrier Packaging and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F02.40 onPackage Integrity.Current edition approved Nov.1,2015.Published January 2015.Originallyapproved in 2013.Last previous edition approved in 2013 as F303913.DOI:10.1520/F3039-15.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from American National Standards Institute(ANSI),25 W.43rd St.,4th Floor,New York,NY 10036,http:/www.ansi.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 5.Apparatus5.1 Means of breaching one of the packaging materials suchas a small knife.5.2 Dye Dispenser,such as an eyedropper or syringe forinjection of the dye penetrant solution,or for application of thedye penetrant to the surface of the sheet sample for Method B.5.3 Microscope or optical loop with magnification of 5 to20(optional).5.4 Absorbent Surface,such as a white chromatographypaper,white filter paper,or white paper towels.Bright whiteprinter or photocopier paper is preferred for the flat sheet(Method B)test.NOTE1An embossed or uneven surface on the absorbent surface can