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Designation: F17 − 17

Standard Terminology Relating to

Primary Barrier Packaging1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F17; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original
adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript
epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope accumulative pump, n—a mechanical pump dispenser that

1.1 This terminology covers the principal terms relating to accumulates internal pressure by means of a valving-system
primary barrier packaging and its materials. This terminology that maintains a high velocity flow of the product no matter
contains related definitions and descriptions of terms used or what the actuation velocity that results in a consistent fine
likely to be used in primary barrier packaging standards. The mist spray.
purpose of terminology is to promote clear understanding and acid foods—foods that have a natural pH of 4.6 or below.
interpretation of the standards in which they are used.
adhesive transfer—a condition occurring when an adhesive-
1.2 This international standard was developed in accor- coated material is peeled away from an opposing material to
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard- which it has been sealed and shows visible evidence of the
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the adhesive being left on the opposing material. This evidence
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom- is in the form of an adhesive layer that remains with the
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical opposing material, the adhesive having separated either
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
iTeh Standards
adhesively from the coated web or cohesively within the
adhesive itself.
2. Referenced Documents

(https://standards.iteh.ai)
aseptic—as applied to aseptic packaging, synonymous with
2
2.1 ASTM Standards: commercially sterile.
D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
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D1129 Terminology Relating to Water aseptic packaging—filling of a commercially sterilized prod-
F1349 Test Method for Nonvolatile Ultraviolet (UV) Ab- uct into presterilized containers, followed by hermetic seal-
sorbing Extractables from Microwave Susceptors ing in a commercially sterile atmosphere.
F1980 Guide for Accelerated Aging of Sterile Barrier Sys- aseptic presentation—introduction and transfer of a sterile
tems for Medical Devices ASTM F17-17product using conditions and procedures that exclude micro-
/catalog/standards/astm/937f48b6-75e0-43e9-9b10-ddd29e5f2024/astm-f17-17
bial contamination.
3. Terminology
atomization, n—the separation process of liquid into small
accelerated aging—a technique to simulate the effects of time particles.
on a package by subjecting the product/package system to
barrier—any material limiting passage through itself of solids,
elevated temperatures in a controlled environment represen-
liquids, semisolids, gases, vapors, or forms of energy such as
tative of controlled environment storage conditions. The
ultraviolet light.
equivalent time is generally estimated by assuming the
degradation of packaging materials follows the kinetics barrier materials—specialized porous or nonporous packag-
described by the Arrhenius reaction rate function, more ing materials that provide environmental protection to the
discussion of which is available in Guide F1980. package contents as well as protection to the environment
from the package contents: (1) gas, vapor, humidity, liquid,
microbial, or light resistant materials that control or elimi-
1
This terminology is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F02 on Primary
nate the amount of those environmental constituents that
Barrier Packaging and is the direct responsibility of F02.50 on Package Design and pass into or out of a package; (2) a porous material
Development. preventing the passage of microorganisms that might con-
Current edition approved June 1, 2017. Published July 2017. Originally approved taminate the contents of the package.
in 1961. Last previous edition approved in 2013 as F17 – 13a. DOI: 10.1520/F0017-
17.
2
biological evaluation test (biotest)—a test which involves
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
exposure of sealed packages to biological indicators and is
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on designed to determine the microbiological integrity of a
the ASTM website. package under the specific conditions of the test.

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1
 F17 − 17
burst strength—a measure of the internal pressure necessary surface of another (solid) material, forming a continuous
to rupture a package or seal. layer upon cooling. (2) Also, the product resulting from such
a process.
channel—any unimpaired pathway across the entire width of
the intended seal. fine mist pump, n—a mechanical pump dispenser that atom-
izes liquid into a fine mist. An accumulative pump is the
clogging, v—the restriction of normal product flow. Most
most common type of fine mist pump.
commonly due to product drying in a product flow passage
area of the mechanical break-up system. flexible—easily hand-folded, flexed, twisted, and bent.
DISCUSSION—“Flexible” may be a characteristic of thin barrier
coextrusion—in flexible barrier materials, (1) a process materials, especially when thinner than 125 to 255 µm (5 to 10 mils),
whereby two or more plastic streams are forced simultane- that are composed of materials that are otherwise classified as “rigid”
ously through one or more shaping orifices to become one or “semi-rigid” under the definitions concerning rigidity based on
continuously-formed multilayered structure. (2) Also, the modulus of elasticity (see Terminology D883). Modulus of elasticity is
product resulting from such a process. an inherent property of a material which in conjunction with thickness
determines flexibility.
commercial sterility— of thermally processed food, the con-
dition achieved by application of heat, alone or in combina- flexible package—any package with at least one flexible
tion with other appropriate treatments, to render the food component that can be bent back or folded back upon itself.
free of microorganisms capable of growing in the food at fluoroptic temperature measurement—temperature mea-
normal nonrefrigerated conditions at which the food is likely surement based on the variation in total luminescence of a
to be held during distribution and storage. fluoroptic phosphor which has been previously calibrated
conditioning—the exposure of a material to the influence of a versus a known temperature standard.
prescribed atmosphere for a stipulated period of time or until food simulant—a well-characterized substance used in place
a stipulated relation is reached between material and atmo- of food for investigative studies.
sphere.

iTeh Standards
force to actuate (FTA), n—the peak force that corresponds to
cross direction (CD)—the direction perpendicular to a mate-
the pressure on the finger that a consumer feels upon fully
rials flow through the machine on which the material is being
actuating the mechanical pump dispenser.
(https://standards.iteh.ai)
produced or processed. Material orientation perpendicular to
the flow direction through a machine may have different
functional barrier—in food packaging, a material that effec-
properties than machine direction. Also known as transverse
tively restricts passage of solids, liquids, semi-solids, vapors,
direction (TD).
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delamination—the separation of layers in a multilayered
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or forms of energy such as ultraviolet light through itself,
across its borders, or interface with another material or
substance.
structure.
ASTM F17-17
dispersion coating—in flexible barrier materials, (1) a pro- functional compatibility, n—effect of physical or chemical
/catalog/standards/astm/937f48b6-75e0-43e9-9b10-ddd29e5f2024/astm-f17-17
cess of applying a material, suspended or dispersed in a interaction between a consumer product and a specific pump
vehicle, to a surface in such a way that a continuous, mechanism where problems typically include deformation
coalesced, adherent layer results when the vehicle liquid and degradation of components that result in a lower
(usually water) is evaporated. (2) Also, the product resulting performance of the mechanical pump dispenser.
from such a process. fusion seal—a bond formed by combining two or more
dual ovenable—terms describing a food packaging container materials through melting or other means so that the joining
used to prepare food in either a conventional oven or a layers become indistinguishable at the interface.
microwave oven. heat seal—the result of bonding surfaces by controlled appli-
environmentally challenging—the process of subjecting a cation of heat, pressure, and dwell time.
package to extremes of temperature and/or humidity and/or hermetically sealed aseptic container—a container that is
other environmental conditions, with the goal of determining designed and intended to be secure against the entry of
sensitivities of the package to environmental stresses. In microorganisms and thereby to maintain the commercial
contrast to accelerated aging, environmental challenging sterility of its contents.
often includes conditions, or transitions, or both, of tempera-
ture and humidity that equal or exceed those that can be hot spot, n—the area of a spray where the product concentra-
encountered in a package life cycle. tion is high which can be visibly seen on a spray pattern as
a concentrated stain on the alcohol-sensitive paper.
exit orifice, n—the final passage found in the insert that the
liquid flows through before exiting the dispensing system hot tack—the property of a heat seal to hold together when
where the size of the orifice diameter can determine the size stressed while it is still hot from the sealing operation.
of the spray particles and spray pattern.
laminate—a product made by bonding together two or more
extrusion coating—in flexible barrier materials, (1) a process layers of material or materials. (See also multilayered
of extrusion whereby a molten extrudate adheres to the structure)