TEST DEVICE FOR MEASURING PERMEABILITY OF A BARRIER MATERIAL

• US 20110018563A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Inventors: Reese, Matthew, Kempe, Michael, Dameron, Arrelaine
• Granted Patent: US 8,664,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/693
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0826 and measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. permeation rate or pressure change
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/086 of films, membranes or pellicules

Abstract

A test device for measuring permeability of a barrier material. An exemplary device comprises a test card having a thin-film conductor-pattern formed thereon and an edge seal which seals the test card to the barrier material. Another exemplary embodiment is an electrical calcium test device comprising: a test card an impermeable spacer, an edge seal which seals the test card to the spacer and an edge seal which seals the spacer to the barrier material.

Claims

1. A test device for measuring permeability of a barrier material, comprising:

a test card having a thin-film conductor-pattern formed thereon;

an edge seal which seals the test card to the barrier material.

2. An electrical calcium test device for measuring permeability of a barrier material, comprising:

a test card;

an impermeable spacer;

an edge seal which seals the test card to the spacer, and an edge seal which seals the spacer to the barrier material.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the thin-film pattern formed on the test card includes a plurality of calcium (Ca) sensor lines connected on each side of a sensor line to inert electrically conductive lines extending to an edge of the test card.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of Ca sensors is provided under the edge seal as a witness to monitor integrity of the edge seal.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of Ca sensors has a different line width.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of Ca sensors have enlarged contact pads at each end.

7. The device of claim 3, further comprising inert electrical lines contacting the plurality of Ca sensors so that resistance of the Ca sensors is measured in either a two- or four-point configuration.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the inert electrical conductor lines are platinum (Pt), gold (Au), or alternatively fluorine doped tin-oxide (F:

SnO₂), IZO, and ITO.

9. The device of claim 2, wherein the thin-film metal-pattern is provided on a an insulating substrate to form the test card.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the thin-film metal pattern is deposited by sputtering and evaporation using a shadow mask technique.

11. The device of claim 2, wherein the thin-film metal pattern includes multiple patterns deposited onto a larger substrate for subsequent dicing into smaller multiple test cards.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein the spacer is comprised of metal, glass, or ceramic.

13. The device of claim 2, wherein the impermeable edge spacer has a ratio to accommodate a more accurate electrical resistance measurement of either high, medium and low permeability barrier materials.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein high permeability barrier materials are tested with aperture to opposite opening ratios of less than one to one.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein low permeability materials may be tested with aperture to opposite opening ratios of greater than one to one.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein medium permeability materials may be tested with an aperture to opposite opening ratio of about 1 to 1.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein the impermeable edge spacer exhibits a height of about one inch for separating a barrier from about a two inch square test card and about a 0.5 inch wide edge seal.

18. The device of claim 2, further comprising a trench formed in the impermeable edge spacer to limit flow of edge sealant during manufacture.

19. The device of claim 2, wherein the edge seal is a poly-isobutylene (PIB)-based material filled with desiccant.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the PIB-based edge seal is applied directly to both ends of the spacers and allowed to outgas in a heated inert environment for about 16 hours at about 120-140°

C. prior to assembly of the test device.

21. The device of claim 2, wherein the impermeable edge spacer and the edge seal are sized for the thin-film metal pattern to contact an electrical connector extending to the edge of the test card.

22. The device of claim 2, further comprising a temperature sensing device.