Patent ID: 7448258

Claim:
A high throughput method for determining vapor barrier characteristics of films and coatings comprising the steps of: preparing a vapor sensitive film; disposing a plurality of at least one of a coating and a film onto said vapor sensitive film; laminating said vapor sensitive film with said coatings and/or films onto a transparent backing; placing said transparent backing with said vapor sensitive film attached thereto and said coatings and/or films thereon disposed, into an absorbance measuring instrument; measuring an absorbance property of each of the coatings and/or films at spaced locations on said vapor sensitive film; placing said transparent backing with said vapor sensitive film attached thereto and said coatings and/or films thereon disposed, into a vapor chamber wherein a vapor of interest is present; removing said transparent backing with said vapor sensitive film attached thereto and said coatings and/or films thereon disposed from said vapor chamber at various times; placing said transparent backing with said vapor sensitive film attached thereto and said coatings and/or films thereon disposed, into said absorbance measuring instrument and measuring the absorbance of each of coatings and/or films locations on said vapor sensitive film again; and plotting the absorbance of said coatings and/or films locations versus time, in order to determine the barrier characteristics of said coatings.