Container Closure Integrity Testing Utilizing Mass Extraction Technology

By Hemi Sagi, President, Advanced Test Concepts

Mass Extraction tests are non-destructive and offer higher measurement sensitivity. The Mass Extraction instruments are efficient, offering short test time, and more accurate than many of the other non-destructive deterministic methods currently used. These other methods, such as pressure/vacuum decay and high voltage testing, have some drawbacks. They have less sensitivity,  heavily rely on bag shape and volume, and require frequent recalibration. The Mass Extraction instruments include an Intelligent Molecular Flow Sensor (IMFS), which is based on the Knudsen micro and molecular flow physical models. These instruments measure the true gas flow (of any gas) extracted from the container while it is inside a custom designed vacuum test chamber. This flow rate is proportional to the defect size. The Mass Extraction instruments have been qualified to test defects sized from 2 micron3 and more recently smaller defect sizes.