What is Membrane Permeation Analyzer? 

Developed by Surface Measurement Systems (SMS) in the United Kingdom, the MPA Horizon is a high-precision Membrane Permeation Analyzer capable of precisely measuring the permeation characteristics of various gases and water vapor through membranes.

The MPA Horizon is an experimental instrument that quantitatively analyzes how gases and water vapor permeate through various materials — particularly polymer films, membranes, and composite materials. 

The instrument measures material properties such as permeability, diffusivity, and solubility, enabling quantitative evaluation of the barrier properties of materials.

The core purpose of the MPA Horizon is to precisely measure how, to what extent, and how rapidly specific gases or water vapor permeate through a material (membrane or film). 

This contributes to material property evaluation and performance improvement, the development of new polymer materials, and product quality control — supporting diverse industrial and academic research.

Applications 

Food and Pharmaceutical Packaging Industry — Evaluates the barrier performance of packaging materials by measuring permeability to oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases Fuel Cell and Battery Industry — Analyzes moisture and hydrogen permeation characteristics of battery membranes, including Proton Exchange Membranes (PEMs) Environmental and Energy Material Development — Analyzes gas permeation characteristics of membranes for carbon capture (CCS), hydrogen storage, and gas separation Electronics / Display Industry — Measures the performance of high-functionality moisture and barrier films used to protect sensitive electronic devices such as OLED and LCD displays Functional Polymer and Composite Material Research — Evaluates and compares performance through gas barrier and permeability analysis in the development of advanced materials Construction and Textile Industry — Measures moisture resistance, moisture permeability, and air permeability of building materials and functional textiles

Key Features 

• High-Precision Gas and Water Vapor Permeability Measurement — Accurately measures the permeability, diffusivity, and solubility of various gases, including oxygen (O₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), hydrogen (H₂), nitrogen (N₂), and water vapor
• Fully Automated Operation — Automatic control of temperature, humidity, and pressure delivers reliable repeatability while minimizing manual operation during experiments
• Wide Range of Experimental Conditions — The MPA Horizon precisely controls temperatures from −5 °C to 80 °C and above, with relative humidity ranging from 0% to over 90%, enabling experiments that simulate diverse real-world usage environments
• Versatile Sample Compatibility — Provides sample cells that accommodate diverse materials, including single-layer membranes, multilayer films, composite materials, and polymer membranes — allowing actual industrial packaging materials and membranes to be tested directly
• Compliance with International Standards — The MPA Horizon meets internationally recognized testing standards including ASTM F1307, ASTM F2622, and ISO 15105-2, providing reliable data that satisfies the requirements of both academic publications and industrial specifications
• Suitable for Both Industry and Research — The MPA Horizon is used across a wide range of sectors — including research institutes, universities, materials companies, packaging manufacturers, and electronic materials firms — and is applicable to everything from fundamental research to product quality control

Measurement Parameters 

• Permeability — Indicates the extent to which a gas passes through a sample, enabling evaluation of gas barrier performance
• Diffusivity — Measures the rate at which a gas diffuses within a sample, enabling analysis of diffusion efficiency
• Solubility — Indicates the extent to which a gas dissolves in a sample, enabling evaluation of gas separation performance
• Time-Lag — Measures the time required for a gas to pass through a sample, enabling analysis of response speed
• Gas Selectivity — Compares the permeability ratio of two gases to evaluate selective barrier performance
• Additional Properties — Additional characteristics such as Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) and gas diffusion coefficients can also be analyzed