ISTA Temperature Conditioning
Micom offers temperature and relative humidity conditioning as part of its packaging testing services.
Anticipated distribution conditions – Uses and factors to consider:
Distribution testing aims at performing the best simulation possible of your pipeline. Many shipped products are temperature sensitive; frozen or refrigerated food, temperature controlled medications, etc. Even if your products does not fall into one of these categories, it can have some sensitivities to either temperature or relative humidity or a combination thereof. For example, plastics under cold temperature can become brittle. Many products, even though they are not recognized as being ambient conditions sensitive, can very well, under specific conditions, undergo distribution damages as a result of ambient distribution conditions. For this reason ISTA has developed various ambient anticipated distribution conditions so that your products can be transit tested under specific scenarios.
As a reference the table below presents these conditions. Specific conditions can also be used to address specific issues.
| Anticipated Conditions | Time in Hours | Temperature in °C ±2°C (°F±4°F) | Humidity in % |
| Extreme Cold, Uncontrolled RH | 72 | -29°C (-20°F) | Untrolled RH |
| Cold, Humid | 72 | 5°C (40°F) | 85% RH ±5% |
| Controlled Conditions | 72 | 23°C (73°F) | 50% RH ±5% |
| Hot, Humid | 72 | 38°C (100°F) | 85% RH ±5% |
| Hot, Humid then Extreme Heat, Moderate Rh: | 72 then 6 | 38°C (100°F) then 60°C (140°F) | 85% RH ±5% then 30% RH ±5% |
| Elevated Temperature, Uncontrolled RH | 72 | 50°C (120°F) | Uncontrolled RH |
| Extreme Heat, Dry | 72 | 60°C (140°F) | 15% RH +/-5% |
| Severe Cold, Uncontrolled RH | 72 | -18°C (0°F) | Uncontrolled RH |
| User Defined High Limit | 72 | Based upon known conditions | Known conditions |
| User Defined Low Limit | 72 | Based upon known conditions | Known conditions |
| User Defined Cycle | 72 | Based upon known conditions | Known conditions |
If you have any questions about ISTA temperature conditioning, we invite you to contact our material testing lab today. It will be our pleasure to answer your questions and help you with your custom material testing requirements.