Although a lot of testing is done to determine the cause of failure of materials, proactive chemical resistance testing and aging studies are also performed. Stress in combination with chemical exposure can cause environmental stress cracking. Long term exposure of medical devices and components to physiological conditions can alter the physical properties of materials. Appropriate analytical protocols can be used to objectively assess the response of materials to relevant aging conditions and chemicals. Included with aging is long term storage, exposure to radiation (sterilization, UV light), and the effects of prolonged high temperature exposure.
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Approaches
Our scientists have performed aging studies on medical products using protocols that simulate physiological conditions.
Thermal aging has also been conducted to advance industrial programs.
Determining the tolerance of and response to certain chemicals has been done for many different polymer materials, including chlorinated polyvinyl chloride.
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Sample Considerations
It is common to require a fairly large amount of sample materials to perform aging and chemical resistance testing because the exposure protocol uses many exposure values and then multiple tests on replicate specimens are performed.
Our scientists establish the protocol, which includes a determination of the specific sample requirements.
Contact us to determine the specific sample requirements for your testing needs.
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Experience
Products we've tested:
- Plastic pipe
- Automotive components
- Rubber products
- Packaging materials
- Medical tubing
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