Glass as a Critical Player in the Pharmaceutical Industry
For over 40 years, EAG has been involved in the entire glass value chain, from raw starting materials to final products.
Polymer Case Study: Off-Odor Memory Foam
One of the most sought-after products in the bedding market, memory foam can be found in mattresses, pillows, and more. Memory foam contours to body shape and is popular due to its combination of comfort and support.
Case Study
A client requested analytical testing to support changes in raw materials and processing conditions used in manufacturing their commercial foam material. The client wanted to assess differences in the physical characteristics of the foam as well as the volatile sensory profile experienced by consumers.
Analysis
To address the sensory concerns, a matrix of foams formulated under slightly different conditions were qualitatively screened for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using headspace GC-MS.
The foams were then compared in terms of relative amounts of specific target compounds that were associated with a specific odor description, such as “musty” or “fishy”.
Result
The analytical testing allowed the engineers to correlate mechanical performance with the odor profile and to optimize the formulation.
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: 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
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Incompatible Contaminant
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Molded In Stresses
- Service: Polymer Chemistry
- Technique: Smart Chart
- Industry: Chemical Testing
- Industry: Consumer Electronics Testing
- Industry: Medical Devices
More content you might like...
From Rock to Rare Series: Part 3 – Production
Rare earth magnets power some of today’s most advanced technologies. Part 3 of this series explores how the magnets are produced, challenges of maintaining purity at every step, and why precision analysis is essential for building a reliable supply chain.
Consumer Product Biocompatibility Testing Webinar
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
This webinar will cover the chemical characterization of consumer products using extractable/leachable studies. Register to reserve your spot today!
Detecting the Invisible: How Full Survey Chemical Analysis Prevents Aerospace Failures
Learn about the important role of Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS) in preventing aerospace failures. Even the smallest impurities can cause catastrophic results.