Polymer Identification
Using the wrong type of plastic for a particular product can be an expensive and sometimes dangerous mistake to make. Although many plastics may look and feel the same, particularly before moulding, using a material which is either the wrong polymer type or has been incorrectly formulated may result in catastrophic failure.
ipolytech selects appropriate tests to determine the generic type of the polymer, usually by determining the types of chemical functional groups it contains and sometimes also by characterising its melting or softening temperatures. Techniques we commonly use include:
- Infrared spectroscopy including IR micro-spectroscopy
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
- Thermogravimetric Analysis
- Optical Microscope (including polarised light and hot-stage microscopy)
On many occasions, plastic and rubber products contain various additives to control the properties of the polymer or to aid in the production of the parts. Materials such as fillers, pigments, flameretardants, plasticisers, stabilisers etc. are commonly used and control of such additives is crucial to service performance. Our chemical analysis laboratory uses a number of techniques to provides rapid identification of polymer type and the additives package used in commercial polymer grades to:
- Check materials supplied against specification
- Identify constituents of recyclate stock
- Analyse contaminants present in raw materials
- Assess degradation within components
- Compare competitor’s products