Polymer Characterization
Characterization of polymers is important for when new materials are synthesized, when a competitive product is being evaluated, or when the performance of a product needs to be improved.
Characterization of polymers is important for when new materials are synthesized, when a competitive product is being evaluated, or when the performance of a product needs to be improved.
Polymer Characterization includes determining molecular weight distribution, the molecular structure, the morphology of the polymer, thermal properties, mechanical properties, and any additives. It is a complex and multi-faceted process that should only be done by those with years of experience and strong educational backgrounds--our scientists at SGS PSI are equipped with both.
We have multiple approaches for Polymer Characterization. The following is a list of the most common techniques we use.
Molecular weight analysis is often determined by one of the following methods:
Molecular Structure determines if a polymer is a homopolymer or a copolymer, for example. Methods we use for this analysis include:
Determining the morphology can answer questions such as: Is the sample crystalline? Is the sample phase separated? What size are the domains? We use the folowing analytical methods to determine the morphology:
Understanding the thermal properties of a polymer can answer questions such as: What is the melting point? What is the filler content? How does the polymer behave with temperature or deformation? The following testing techniques can be used to answer those questions:
We determine Physical Properties in the following ways:
Additives analysis reveals information about organic or inorganic filler content.
Your sample considerations will vary based up on the testing plan required to meet your needs. Contact us to discuss your sample considerations.
Examples of products we've conducted Polymer Characterization on include