Material Analysis & Characterisation Testing for Polymers and Plastics
Impact Solutions offers a range of material analysis testing services
Our Material Analysis & Characterisation Testing Services
Material analysis is an essential tool in identifying materials, assessing if they meet specifications, and determining their properties to understand how they will react to a given environment.
Impact Solutions provides independent material analysis and characterisation testing for polymers, plastics and manufactured products. Our laboratory uses analytical and physical testing techniques to identify materials, investigate composition and structure, assess material properties, and support product development, quality control and failure analysis.
Analysis techniques are often used by Impact Solutions to carry out failure analysis. FTIR, DSC, optical, and scanning electron microscopy can check the mode of failure, crack propagation, and characterise chemicals or contaminants present.
A product’s aesthetic properties and durability can also be assessed through techniques like haze, colour, tear, and abrasion resistance.
What can polymer material analysis determine?
Material analysis and characterisation can help determine:
- Material identity – what polymer or material is present
- Chemical composition – the chemical characteristics of a material
- Thermal behaviour – melting, crystallisation and thermal transitions
- Flow behaviour – how a polymer behaves during processing
- Filler or inorganic content – the proportion of material remaining after ignition
- Microstructure – surface and internal features
- Contamination – foreign materials or unexpected components
- Material degradation – changes caused by processing or environmental exposure
- Failure mechanisms – evidence that can help identify why a product or component failed
When is material analysis testing needed?
Material analysis may be appropriate when you need to:
- identify an unknown polymer or plastic
- verify that a material meets a specification
- compare two polymer samples
- investigate a failed plastic component
- identify contamination
- assess changes following environmental exposure
- understand thermal behaviour
- investigate processing problems
- characterise recycled or reformulated materials
- support product development or material selection
