Outgassing Testing Services Prevents Critical Errors
Introduction
In outgassing, materials like adhesives or polymers are heated to release volatile organics in the surrounding air. This can cause a potential odor, environmental issues, and product contamination. The outgassing testing method of a material involves examining the product’s ability to release volatile organics when heated or over time.
Scope
Outgassing testing is essential when potential emissions from VOCs from materials have to be identified, particularly for use in high-stakes environments where cleanliness and stability are the key. For example, attached adhesives to a hard drive will cause plasticizers or low molecular weight compounds within a hot sealed environment to migrate into sensitive hard drive areas and cause shorts, malfunctions, or crashes. Therefore, outgassing testing techniques, such as headspace measurement, are necessary to pre-screen materials for the potential emission of VOCs that may fail, ensuring product reliability and maintaining the critical components’ quality and effectiveness in desired applications in industries including electronics, aerospace, and laboratory instrumentation.
Testing for Outgassing per ASTM E595 and IPC-TM-650 2.6.4
Outgassing materials are harmful for essential applications that demand an extremely clean vacuum environment. When a substance is heated and placed in a vacuum, it outgasses because some components are volatilized or released. A clean vacuum environment is required for numerous applications, including processing lithography, sensitive analytical instruments, and spacecraft equipment.
To prevent contamination, the outgassing test must help to screen the selection of materials, cleaning techniques, and handling practices in vacuum environments. When exposing the materials or components to a heated vacuum environment, the technicians can calculate the total mass loss (TML) and the collected volatile condensable material (CVCM) of those materials or components. In addition to surface contaminants like oils and release agents used during manufacturing, the mass loss may also occur by outgassing of low molecular weight materials, including trapped process solutions, uncured materials (resin, adhesive, ink, paint, coating, etc.), uncured materials, and in some cases, plasticizers, flame retardants, and catalysts.
ASTM E595 uses a vacuum chamber with 10-6 Torr pressures to heat the sample material. Material testing is carried out by putting known quantities of material in a 10x12x6 mm3 container boat placed within a temperature-controlling hot copper bar container. A venting port facing a collector on the container allows for measuring substances with lower volatilities. For the test, the copper bar, the materials being tested, and the collectors are kept at 125°C and 25°C, respectively.
Benefits of Outgassing Testing Services
The benefits of Outgassing Testing Services are as follows:
| Benefits | Description |
| Enhanced Product Reliability | Identifies potential outgassing materials and prevents possible malfunctioning of crucial components, hence ensuring stable products for long-term use. |
| Prevention of Contamination | Screen materials prevent VOC release that could contaminate sensitive environments in essential electronics and aerospace applications. |
| Reduced Risk of Product Failure | Early detection of volatile emissions, especially in sealed and high-vacuum environments, reduces the chances of system failures. |
| Cost Savings | Minimizes costly repairs, replacements, and warranty claims by ensuring that only stable, non-outgassing materials are used in production. |
Conclusion
The outgassing testing service safeguards the product’s performance, reliability, and safety in scenarios where the product will be put into service. These tests ascertain the production of VOC, which leads to avoiding contamination while adhering to industry standards in choosing the best material. The outgassing testing of such products is vital for decreasing the risk of product failure with customer satisfaction and for the long-term stability of the products and cost-effectiveness. This is because, for example, such services have numerous merits for manufacturers and end-users alike. After all, they uphold the quality and effectiveness of critical components.
FAQs
How does outgassing testing improve product reliability? Outgassing testing identifies materials that may release VOCs under certain conditions, which helps manufacturers choose stable, non-outgassing materials that ensure long-term product reliability and functionality.
What standards are followed in outgassing testing? Outgassing testing typically follows ASTM E595 and IPC-TM-650 2.6.4 standards. This ensures that tests have been performed in controlled settings, such as vacuum chambers, to assess VOC emissions appropriately.
What does outgassing testing measure? Outgassing tests measure Total Mass Loss (TML) and Collected Volatile Condensable Material (CVCM), which indicate the mass and nature of volatile substances a material would emit in a vacuum.
How does outgassing affect electronic devices like hard drives? Outgassed compounds can diffuse into vulnerable spots in electronic equipment and often short circuit, cause malfunctioning, or even component failure. Testing helps avoid such issues by pre-screening materials for potential emissions.
How does outgassing testing help reduce costs? By identifying materials prone to outgassing early in development, testing helps prevent costly failures, repairs, replacements, and warranty claims associated with product malfunctions or contamination.
