ASTM D4332 Package Conditioning

1.1 This practice provides for standard and special conditioning and testing atmospheres that may be used to simulate particular field conditions that a container, package, or packaging component may encounter during its life or testing cycle.

1.2 This practice describes procedures for conditioning these containers, packages, or packaging components so that they approach or reach equilibrium with the atmosphere to which they may be exposed. This standard is commonly used for conditioning when conducting transit simulation tests.

1.3 Practice D685 should be used as the relevant conditioning standard when quantification of box compression strength at standard atmosphere conditions is required.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.”

The product packages travel to specific destinations, and when they do, they are exposed to a variety of environmental conditions such as temperature or humidity that may adversely affect the package systems. The actual purpose of ASTM D4332 is to realistically simulate the environments that products and their packaging will encounter during their transit route. One example of a transit route is that a product can be made and manufactured in California and then shipped to New York. During the trip from California to New York, the packaged product will encounter a variety of climates on its journey, which includes and is not limited to, the heat and humidity in the Midwestern states, freezing temperatures in the northern states, and also dryer conditions in the southwest. As you can see there are a few different temperature and air humidity ranges that these packaged products will go through. All of these specific environmental conditions will need to be simulated during the testing phase. This needs to happen in order to assess realistically how the packaging will withstand the real-life conditions during shipment.