RAPID INTEGRITY TESTING FOR POROUS MATERIAL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an integrity testing method for evaluating porous material, that is fast, sensitive, reproducible, non-destructive, low cost and flexible, regarding the orientation of the porous material, applicable to a wide variety of signal detection means and easy to execute. SOLUTION: This integrity testing method includes (a) wetting the porous material with a liquid; (b) contacting a first surface of porous material with a mixture comprising a carrier and a detectable substance; (c) applying pressure to the first surface of the porous material, such that at least some of the carrier and the detectable substance permeate the porous material; (d) recirculating the carrier and detectable substance found in the porous material in a fixed volume on the permeate side, while continuing to apply the pressure of (c); and (e) assessing the concentration of the detectable substance in the permeate of the porous material with the passage of time. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT