Permeance Specification
Testing of paper porosity involves measuring the time required for a specific volume of air to pass through a defined area of the substrate. The iso 5636-5 standard utilizes the Gurley apparatus to determine the structural openness of the fibre network. It provides a critical value for papers used in filtering or high speed vacuum handling applications.
Apparatus Configuration
The instrument consists of a weighted cylinder that floats in an outer cylinder partially filled with oil to create a seal. As the inner cylinder descends, it forces air through the clamped sample at a constant pressure. The time taken for the graduation marks on the cylinder to pass the top edge of the outer container is recorded.
Material Applicability
Use of this method is most common for papers with medium to high resistance to air flow. The iso 5636-5 protocol is less accurate for very open tissues or very dense glassine where different air leak methods may be preferred. It remains a staple in quality control labs because the equipment is durable and requires no electrical power for operation.
Modern digital versions of the tester provide faster results but the underlying physics remains identical to the original manual design.