Stability Test Chambers: Everything You Need to Know
A key element of entrepreneurial success is product quality. This is especially so in today's competitive business landscape. However, product quality goes beyond making products that are desirable to consumers. It can involve a host of other elements such as ensuring products:
- Are safe for use
- Meet industry standards
- Have an ideal shelf life
- Are packaged appropriately
Ensuring products have the desired quality is non-negotiable because any defective product can put consumers at risk. Therefore, stability testing plays a key role in so many industries. Read on to learn more about stability test chambers and their various applications.
What are Stability Test Chambers?
Stability chambers are chambers or rooms specifically designed to test products under controlled environmental conditions. These climatic conditions include temperature and humidity. Depending on the products and testing needs, the chambers can provide precise temperature and humidity ratings that meet the testing requirements.
What Types of Applications are Stability Chambers Used For?
In most cases, stability chambers are used for shelf-life testing, but their uses may also include testing for:
- Product stability
- Packaging stability
- Product degradation
- Biomedical storage
- Expiration date testing
One of the key benefits of stability chambers is accelerating testing, which provides test results in an abbreviated amount of time to enhance product quality. Also, using a chamber allows you to test a multitude of different temperature and humidity conditions to ensure products can withstand harsh environmental situations.
How to Choose the Right Type of Stability Chamber
On matters of product quality, having a testing chamber is not enough. It should offer the right testing conditions for your products and suit your needs. With this in mind, you should consider the following when choosing a test chamber:
Temperature Range
Temperature plays a key role in stability testing. As such, the temperature range should be the first thing you consider in a test chamber. Generally, test chambers offer a range between -70 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees Celsius.
If your tests require a broader range, speak to your supplier for customization.
Humidity Range
Another key element to consider is the humidity range. However, this is largely dependent on temperature and water vapor as they influence relative humidity (RH). When the temperature is low, achieving a high RH is possible with less water vapor. The same is true for the opposite.
For most units, the standard temperature-humidity range is 10 to 85 degrees Celsius, with an RH of 10% to 98%. However, you should know that the risk of fog or dew forming limits how low temperatures can go.
Size of Chamber Necessary
As you choose a chamber, it’s essential that the products can fit inside. Any extra space is not necessary as it will not enhance testing. However, it should be slightly bigger than the size of the product to promote airflow.
In terms of size, you'll have two main options:
- Reach-in chambers- These are small-sized and cabinet-like chambers. They’re ideal when you need to test a few products or change conditions.
- Walk-in chambers- These chambers are large and allow you to store or test numerous products. They’re suitable when you need to maintain specific conditions for a long time.
Enhance Your Stability Testing
Once you determine what you need from a test chamber, the next step is choosing a reliable provider.
Whether you’re looking for stability chambers, humidity stability chambers, steady-state chambers, shelf-life testing chambers, and walk-in rooms that provide constant climate testing and meet ICH guidelines, Lunaire has the right product for your business’s needs. You can check out our full product line here.