ASTM_F_2029_-_16.pdf

Designation:F202916Standard Practices forMaking Laboratory Heat Seals for Determination of HeatSealability of Flexible Barrier Materials as Measured by SealStrength1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2029;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 These practices cover laboratory preparation of heatseals.These practices also cover the treatment and evaluationof heat seal strength data for the purpose of determining heatsealability of flexible barrier materials.It does not cover therequired validation procedures for the production equipment.1.2 Testing of seal strength or other properties of the heatseals formed by these practices is not included in this standard.Refer to Test Method F88 for testing heat seal strength.Thispractice does not apply to hot tack testing,which is covered inF1921.1.3 The practices of this standard are restricted to preparingheat seals using a sealer employing hot-bar or impulse sealingmethods,or both.1.4 This practice is intended to assist in establishing startingrelationships for sealing flexible barrier materials.Additionalguidance may be needed on how to set up sealing conditionsfor flexible barrier materials on commercial/production sealingequipment.1.5 Seals may be made between webs of the same ordissimilar materials.The individual webs may be homoge-neous in structure or multilayered(coextruded,coated,laminated,and so forth).1.6 Strength of the heat seal as measured by Test MethodF88 is the sole criterion for assessing heat sealability employedin these practices.1.7 Other aspects of heat sealability,such as seal continuity,typically measured by air-leak,dye penetration,visualexamination,microorganism penetration,or other techniques,are not covered by these practices.1.8 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded asstandard.The values given in parentheses are for informationonly.1.9 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:2F88 Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible BarrierMaterialsF1921 Test Methods for Hot Seal Strength(Hot Tack)ofThermoplastic Polymers and Blends Comprising the Seal-ing Surfaces of Flexible WebsD4332 Practice for Conditioning Containers,Packages,orPackaging Components for Testing3.Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 dwell time,nthe time interval when the sealing jawsare in contact with,and exerting pressure on,the material beingsealed.3.1.2 heat seal curve,na plot of measured seal strength asa function of sealing temperature at a fixed dwell time andsealing pressure.3.1.3 heat seal strength,nforce per unit width of sealrequired to progressively separate a flexible material from arigid material or another flexible material,under the conditionsof the test.Also known as seal strength.3.1.4 heat sealability,nthe ability of thermoplastic poly-mers and blends,when comprising a sealing surface of aflexible web,that defines how well the material bonds to itselfor a dissimilar material upon the application of pressure,heat,and dwell(time),as judged by the heat seal curve.3.1.4.1 DiscussionSince heat seal strength can be mea-sured either while the seal is still hot(hot tack)or after cooling1These practices are under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F02 on PrimaryBarrier Packaging and are the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F02.20 onPhysical Properties.Current edition approved Nov.15,2016.Published November 2016.Originallyapproved in 2000.Last previous edition approved in 2008 as F2029 08.DOI:10.1520/F2029-16.2For 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.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 and stabilizing(ultimate seal strength),a complete evaluationof heat sealability of a material may include both tests.3.1.5 hot tack,na measure of the seal strength of a hot sealmeasured at a specified time interval after completion of thesealing cycle but prior to the temperature of the seal reachingambient.Refer to Test Methods F1921.3.1.6 seal initiation temperature,non a heat seal curve,the sealing temperature/dwell pressure at which heat sealstrength first begins to trend upward from zero heat sealstrength.3.1.7 sealing interface,nthe interface of the two websurfaces being sealed.3.1.8 sealing pressure,nthe force per unit area of sealapplied to the material by t