Restricted Substances Impact Everyday Products
As the list of restricted substances grows, testing demands customized methods to identify issues early. This is a complex issue that requires a strategic approach.
Polymer Case Study: Incompatible Contaminant
Highly durable, thermoplastic tubing works well in a variety of industrial applications and operating temperatures. This tubing can be resistant to many environmental conditions, as well as chemicals and oils.
Case Study
A device manufacturer observed defects in a specific lot of thermoplastic tubing. The tubing exhibited signs of dimpling and axial deformation, suggesting chemical attack or exposure of the tubing to localized heating.
Analysis
TGA was performed to compare weight loss profiles as a function of temperature.
The defect tubing had a significantly lower decomposition onset temperature compared to the control tubing. Additionally, the deformed tubing exhibited multiple weight loss steps compared to a single major weight loss step for the control. DSC profiles in the 1st heat scan (as-received thermal history), cooling scan, and 2nd heat scan (inherent properties) were also different.
Result
Results indicate a compositional difference between the defect and control tubing materials, consistent with exposure of the defect tubing to an incompatible chemical.
Failure Analysis of Polymers
For more than 50 years, scientists and engineers at Eurofins EAG have investigated and resolved product failures for clients. Our team of experts identify key failure indicators and follow them to the root cause.
Polymeric Materials Evaluated at EAG
Failure analysis of plastics, thermosets, and rubber materials is commonly performed on finished products and typically involve comparative analysis between failed and non-failed samples. Once the potential root cause is identified, experiments can be designed and conducted to test the hypothesis and recreate the failure in the laboratory. Eurofins EAG can evaluate a variety of polymer types, including:
- Raw materials in polymer formulations
- Adhesives (heat/moisture/UV-cured, silicones, epoxies, acrylates)
- Coatings (functional or decorative)
- Thermoplastics, thermosets, thermoplastic elastomers, composites
- Molded, extruded, cast components
Eurofins EAG Laboratories offers a full suite of analytical techniques to evaluate the identity, composition, morphology, topography, and rheology of polymeric materials and components.
- Chromatography: GC, GC-MS, HPLC, IC, LC-MS, Pyrolysis GC-MS, HS/TD/SPME GC-MS
- Inorganic Identification and Quantification: ICP-MS, ICP-OES, SEM-EDS, XRD, XRF
- Physical Testing: Contact Angle, Mechanical Testing, Rheometry, Viscometry
- Spectroscopy: Ellipsometry, FTIR, NIR, NMR, Raman, UV-Vis
- Surface Analysis: Auger, SEM, TOF-SIMS, XPS
- Surface Metrology: AFM, Nanoindentation, Profilometry
- Thermal Analysis: DMA, DSC, RGA, TGA, TGA-IR, TGA-MS, TMA
Contact Our Team
Call +1 800-366-3867 or email us.
Related Resources
- Webinar: Analytical Investigations of Plastics and Polymers
- Webinar: Characterization of Plasma Altered Polymer Surfaces
- Application Note: XPS Analysis of Surface Modified Polymers
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Molded In Stresses
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Off-Odor Memory Foam
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Weathering Polymeric Films
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Blistering Paint
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Cracking of Molded Components
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Curing Issues with Silicone Adhesive
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Delamination of Food Packaging
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Environmental Stress Cracking of a Polycarbonate Part
- Service: Polymer Chemistry
- Technique: Smart Chart
- Industry: Chemical Testing
- Industry: Consumer Electronics Testing
- Industry: Medical Devices
- Brochure: Failure Analysis of Polymers
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