Alum/HSL or VMCH Film Standard Testing Procedure

Aluminium foil is a type of primary packaging material. It is directly connected to the drug. It is coated with the type of HSL/VMCH. The other side is printed with different types of ink.

HSL (Heat Seal Lacquer): This is a type of coating applied to aluminum foil to enable heat sealing. It’s used to seal the foil to itself or other materials (such as plastic or paper) in packaging applications. Heat sealing is a common method for closing packages securely.

VMCH (Vinylidene Chloride Vinyl Chloride Copolymer): This resin type is often used as a barrier coating in aluminum foil laminates. It provides excellent oxygen and moisture barrier properties, making it suitable for packaging applications where protection against these elements is crucial. VMCH coatings help extend product shelf life by preventing spoilage caused by oxygen and moisture.

Here are some test parameters we discussed

1. Description:  we physically verify whether aluminum foil is printed or unprinted. Types of coating HSL or VMCH coating. In printed aluminium foil visually check the test matter is printed without any summering and that no bladder is required. Printed aluminium foil is visible at the eye point.

2. Test matter: test matter is compared with a standard shade card or artwork

3. Color: this test is performed by shade card or Pantone card  

4. Width: measure the aluminum foil  width help of a calibrated measuring scale

5. Inner core diameter: measuring inner core diameter by calibrated measuring scale

6. Identification of aluminium:

1. chemical method

                        Weight the aluminium foil 15 mg sample and put it in a beaker mix 30ml 1NHCL then heat on hot plate. the beaker aluminium foil to dissolve, in solution, add about 0.5 ml conc HCL and thioacetamide regents, no precipitate is formed, add dropwise NaoH solution and a gelatinous white precipitate is formed which dissolves on further addition of 1NaoH Solution after gradually addition ammonium hydroxide solution .gelatinous white precipitate is re-formed.

• IDENTIFICATION BY FTIR

                                              This test is performed by FTIR instrument, first scan Zeon standard .its standards are same for both sample HSL and VMCH coating aluminium same spectra plotted, this spectrum are wavelength is 3800-650cm^-1                               

The corrected spectrum of the specimen exhibits major absorption bands only at the same wavelength as the spectrum of the HSL/VMCH reference standard.

FTIR GRAPH of HSL OR VMCH

7. Grammage:

• Total Grammage:

 Alunminium foil of grammage test is performed, cut the sample 10×10 cm² or 5 x 5 cm² area (as applicable) with the help of GSM Plate. Remove the text matter with a cotton rubbing mix of ethyl acetate on the printed side if the sample is printed. The weight of the sample weight on an analytical balance (calculated by formula)

Total Grammage = weight in grams x 100 or 400 (if the sample 10 x 10 cm² or 5 x 5 cm²)

• For Aluminium Layer:

The sample of total Grammage was completely dipped in a glass beaker containing ethyl acetate, after some time the HSL and VMCH layers were dissolved and then dried at room temp of the aluminium layer. After taking the aluminium layer sample weight (calculated by formula)       Calculation of the Grammage by the given formula by the given formula

Alum Grammage = weight in grams x 100 or 400 (if the sample 10 x 10 cm² or 5 x 5 cm²)

• For HSL OR VMCH Layer:

                VMCH or HSL Grammage = total Grammage – Alum Grammage

8. Thickness: with the help ofa calibrated digital micrometermeasuring total thickness or aluminium foil thickness (after taking reading Find aluminium grammage)

9. Pin hole: take the sample of aluminium foil test performed by pine hole tester instrument. It instruments are in the background light. Put the sample on the front. it is clear figure shows holes are present are not present.in observation, no hole is required in sample.