Philip Rollo

Abstract

The purpose of the following study was to evaluate and compare the corrosion protection capabilities of specific packaging devices / systems-high barrier film lamination, desiccant and oxygen absorber. The hypothesis of this particular study states that a film pouch constructed from a high barrier film laminated material, can offer a moderate to high degree of protection for metal surfaces exposed to a highly corrosive environment. The particular high barrier film laminated pouch (film pouch) incorporated film layers of polyester, aluminum foil and polyethylene into its structure. The particular metal surface used in the study was a commonly used metal-cold rolled steel. Each set of metal testing subjects, called populations, contained four separate packaging systems. These four systems had a common element-they all contained the film pouch. The four systems were broken down into separate testing populations-one testing population contained a metal test subject enclosed alone in the film pouch, another population contained a desiccant with the metal subject in the film pouch, another population contained an oxygen absorber with the metal subject and another population contained both a desiccant and oxygen absorber with the metal subject. The methodology used to test the hypothesis centered around a controlled humidity chamber laboratory study. This particular test used high temperatures, moderate to high levels of relative humidity and atmospheric corrosive contaminants in the form of pollutants. This atmosphere was intended to simulate a heavily industrialized manufacturing setting where products would be produced, packaged, shipped and/or stored under these highly corrosive conditions. The testing period lasted 30 days. Thirty days was used to simulate a moderate to long exposure period that products could see during the process of packaging, shipping and/or storage. The resulting data from this experiment were measured and evaluated by using two main criteria that indicate a metal subject has been exposed to a corrosive condition-changes in the weight and changes in the surface appearance (i.e., discoloration-caused by corrosion contamination). This particular data was gathered, organized and studied. The various populations were then evaluated for their protection capabilities. Next, recommendations regarding areas of further studies were made. These particular recommendations should help to identify any areas that may have given flawed or inaccurate test data. From this information any future testing of this sort may be able to achieve a higher degree of accuracy for its data. In the final conclusions of this study, the testing data showed evidence that strongly supported the stated hypothesis. In addition to this, the final test results also showed an unexpected result. This result dealt with the oxygen absorbers incorporated into this study. The particular metal testing populations that contained these protective packaging substances recorded substantially higher levels of visual corrosion contamination when compared to the other populations. This phenomena, and possible reasons for it, are discussed in the CONCLUSION section of this study.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Plastic films--Evaluation; Plastics in packaging--Evaluation; Laminated plastics--Evaluation; Metals--Packaging--Evaluation

Publication Date

1996

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (CAST)

Advisor

Goodwin, Daniel

Advisor/Committee Member

Yambrach, Fritz

Advisor/Committee Member

Plato, Marcus

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: TS198.3.F5 R644 1996

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Download

Share

COinS