Recently we developed an instrument for the resistance determination of material to permeation of chemicals (e.g. gloves) following these main EU regulations:
EN 16523-1: 2019 Determination of resistance to permeation by liquid chemicals (complete version here)
EN 16523-2: 2019 Determination of resistance to permeation by chemical gases (complete version here)
Both parts specify a test method for determining the resistance of protective clothing materials, gloves and footwear to permeation of potentially hazardous liquid and gaseous chemicals under continuous contact conditions.
We designed an automated system for the analysis of gases and vapors evolved from a permeation testing chamber by using a 2 meters long path cell (LPC) for FTIR spectrometer.
The testing chamber is a Peltier-effect thermal conditioning box able to accommodate up to 3 permeation cells – and 3 samples (as you can see in the picture). It creates a standard condition, maintaining a stable temperature of +23°C during the entire experiment time. Samples are placed inside the small cells and continuously flushed with carrier gas (e.g. Nitrogen).
Regulations mention to flush the cells and intermitted control through FTIR analysis for 8 hours. Before every new IR analysis, the program created performs a background scan, then gases evolved from the chamber are transferred to the heated long path cell for the IR scan. Controller module, which helps the entire system, marks the flushing program and the IR trigger. Analyzes are done several times for each sample, at different stages of wear.
Operators can see final data directly on the PC: a Macro Microsoft Excel file collects and transforms data according to the regulations. Results can be saved locally and analyzed later.
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