Quality Control Testing Solution Ensuring Ointment Tube Integrity

Medical ointments rely on effective packaging to maintain product integrity and patient safety. A critical component of this packaging is the ointment tube itself. To ensure product quality, rigorous testing is essential.

Commonly used for medical ointments, composite tubes consist of multiple layers, often including polyethylene (PE) and aluminum. This combination provides a balance of flexibility, strength, and barrier properties.

Several key tests are conducted to evaluate the performance of ointment tubes:

Peel Strength Test: The adhesion between layers of the tube, particularly the inner PE and aluminum layers, is crucial for maintaining tube integrity. A peel test measures the force required to separate these layers.

Tensile Strength Test: This test determines the tube's resistance to stretching and tearing. It provides information about the material's overall strength and durability.

Labthink C610M Auto Tensile Tester is applicable to measurement of tensile, peeling, deformation, tearing, heat sealing, adhesive, puncture force, opening force, pulling force and low speed unwrapping force of plastic films, composite materials, soft package materials, plastic flexible tube, adhesives, adhesive tapes, label stickers, medical plasters, release paper, protective films, combined caps, aluminum foils, diaphragms, back sheets, non-woven fabrics, etc.

Pressure Resistance Test: This test assesses the tube's ability to withstand internal pressure without leakage. It involves filling the tube with compressed air and immersing it in water to detect any weaknesses.

Labthink C660B Leak and Seal Strength Tester is professionally designed for the leakage tests of packages for food, drugs, medical instruments, household chemical products, cars, electronic components, stationeries and other industrial products. The instrument also can be used to test seal performance of specimens after falling and compression tests

Heat Seal Strength Test: To ensure a secure closure, the heat-sealed seams on the tube body and tail are evaluated for their strength and integrity.

The melting point, thermal stability, fluidity and thickness are the factors that may influence the heat sealing properties of materials. The heat sealing parameters for those materials are quite different. Labthink C630H Heat Seal Tester can be used to determine the optimal heat sealing parameters including dwell time, sealing pressure and sealing temperature for plastic films, flexible composite films, plastic coated paper and other heat-sealable films.

Barrier Performance Test: The tube's ability to protect the ointment from external contaminants, such as moisture and oxygen, is critical. Tests measure the rate at which water vapor and oxygen can penetrate the tube material.

While specific industry standards may vary, international standards provide a framework for testing tube performance. For example:

Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR): ASTM F1249 and ISO 15106 are commonly used to measure the rate at which water vapor passes through the tube material.

Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR): ASTM D3985 and ISO 15614 assess the permeability of the tube to oxygen.

Labthink C403H and C406H Oxygen /Water Vapor Transmission Rate Test System is based on the testing principle of Coulometric oxygen sensor and infrared water vapor sensor are designed and manufactured according to ASTM D3985、ASTM F1249，ISO 15106-2 and other relevant standards. They provide high precision and efficiency oxygen and water vapor transmission rate tests for high and medium gas barrier materials, can be applied in testing the oxygen and water vapor transmission performance of films, sheets and related materials in the fields of food, medicine, medical devices, daily chemicals, photovoltaic, electronic and many others. C403H has 3 test cells while C406H has high efficiency 6 test cells.

By adhering to rigorous testing protocols and relevant standards, manufacturers can ensure the quality and safety of medical ointment tubes, safeguarding the efficacy of the enclosed product.

As the demand for functional packaging materials grows, testing methods are evolving to ensure a more comprehensive evaluation of packaging films. Labthink encourages collaboration with packaging industry companies for quality control! Visit the website www.labthink.com to learn more!