There are many different reasons for a company to want to test specific types of polymers. It may be to test the specific characteristics of a given polymer, or it may be reverse engineer an unknown polymer to determine the underlying base materials.
The process of polymer characterization is very specific and has to be carried out under very precise conditions. Laboratories that are able to handle these testing procedures will carefully choose from the variety of testing options available to determine specific characteristics of the polymer that will lead to the characterization of the different issues such as thermal properties, mechanical properties and issues such as molecular structure.
Understanding the Right Tests
The first step that the laboratory or testing facility needs to take is to determine the best possible test for polymer characterization. Depending on the specific requirements from the client, there may be multiple tests involved.
Typically, with any type of characterization of polymers, more than one test will be important. This will provide redundancy in the results and lead to increased accuracy and validation of results throughout the process.
Checking Thermal Properties
The way that polymer responds to heat through the use of melt flow rate, relative viscosity, melt volume rate and even crystallinity. By understanding the crystallinity of a given polymer, it is possible to determine issues such as dimensional change and even how and if the polymer will warp during typical use based on the polymer characterization results.
Validating Materials
While not a direct requirement of characterization of polymers, the same processes can also be used to validate the materials. In other words, the tests that provide the information for characterization can also be used to assess and identify the filler materials as well as the polymers used, ensuring that particular polymers meet standards and industry requirements for marketing and validation purposes.
