The application of a laser to determine permeation properties of high barrier materials in a highly sensitive, safe and fast manner is a most promising technology. The laser diode spectroscopic technique allows to detect even slightest amounts of permeated water vapor and thus to calculate the water vapor transfer rate(WVTR) of multi-coated foils and polymer webs.

The HiBarSens system can achieve detection sensitivities with rates ofWVTR < 1 x 10^-4 g m^-2 d^-1. The measuring set-up has been successfully transferred into industrial application within the framework of a European cooperation project.

The device helps to support the developments of high performance coating on foils and polymer webs for the application of organic LEDs (OLED) in the photovoltaic industry or in vacuum insulation panels (VIP). Furthermore it is applied in the quality control process of foil and web productions.