Identifying the chemical composition of your raw material and products
Given the wide range of polymers and polymer blends on the market today, it is often necessary to know what type of polymer is in a product, as different polymers provide different mechanical, chemical, physical and thermal properties. Furthermore, two products may look similar, but have completely different formulations. Therefore, where one type of polymer may be suitable in a particular application, another may be detrimental in that same application.
Polymer material testing and polymer identification therefore is crucial if, for example, it has been involved in a failure, if you need quality testing, if it is not performing as expected, if you would like to compare the material from different sources, or if you need to deformulate a product.
As a specialist plastic testing laboratory, ExcelPlas has an extensive variety of testing equipment and an expert polymer knowledge base that can help you with polymer characterisation. We can identify the base polymer identity, additives, fillers, plasticisers, reinforcements, coating layers and more.
Some examples of analytical techniques we can use to analyse polymer material composition include:
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrosocpy (FTIR and FTIR microscopy)
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
- Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
- Gel Permeating Chromatography (GPC)
- Scanning Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM-EDAX)
- X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
We can also assess other properties such as:
- Physical properties of polymers [link] such as density, molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity, wettability, degree of crystallinity
- Thermal properties of polymers [link] such as melting point, glass transition temperature, decomposition temperature, softening temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, flammability
- Mechanical properties of polymers [link] such as tensile strength and elongation, impact resistance, flexural strength testing, compressive strength testing, tear testing, abrasion testing
- UV accelerated weathering [link] and salt-spray testing
- Chemical resistance of polymers and compatibility testing
Our team is available to help you determine the best test methods suited for your requirements.
Testing you can trust
Our expert team has completed over 13,000 rigorous polymer tests for clients across industries, all over the world.
Fully independent
Audit your products quality and durability with our independent lab ensuring unbiased and accurate results from industry experts.
30+ years experience
With 30 years under our belt, ExcelPlas provides unparalleled testing services.
World class testing facilities
Equipped with a wide range of testing technologies and expertise we provide reliable and efficient testing.
Trusted by the industry
ExcelPlas’ expertise has been utilised by billion-dollar industry players relying on our expertise to make the important decisions.
