Materials testing | feature
Testing times for compounders
Materials identifi cation and analysis, whether carried out in-house or contracted to an outside service provider, is vitally important for today’s compounders, many of which are working with formulations containing increasingly complex resin and additive combinations. End-users are relying on a broader range of
materials to achieve desired part performance and, equally as important, to meet regulatory requirements. The materials they specify may include highly engineered resins and specialty additives, novel polymer options such as recyclates and bioresins, or advanced materials such as organic nanoparticles. The ability to accurately identify, analyse and certify these components suitable for use is essential to assure their performance meets compound and part specifi cations. In two major markets in particular - food packaging and medical - OEMs and compounders additionally want to establish the safety of the materials they specify and supply, especially when considering issues such as extractables and potential contaminants. “There has been an increased interest in the identifi cation of degradation or extractable chemical species as a result of compounding relating to food contact or medical applications,” says Paul Shipton, consultancy director at Smithers Rapra, a testing and consulting service. There are many tests that compounders can use,
alone or in combination with other procedures, to evaluate materials. These range from relatively common techniques such as rheology analysis, FTIR or Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry to more complex procedures such as
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Complex formulations and increasingly diverse materials raise
the stakes for compounders in testing and evaluation of products. Pat Toensmeier reports
evolved gas analysis and liquid chromatography. Most compounders carry out the more basic tests
themselves. The more complex procedures, which often involve multiple chemistry skills, specialty equipment and custom procedures, are more typically the province of testing service providers. These specialist service providers argue that the breadth of expertise they offer, along with the diverse equipment and ongoing investment in analytical and mechanical instrumentation, provides compounding clients with accurate results while relieving them of the need to maintain costly technical centres and dedicated staff. “The need [for a compounder] to access a skilled partner is paramount to reducing time to market and gaining a competitive edge,” says Menas Vratsanos, chief scientist of Intertek Chemicals and Materials, a leading testing service provider. He says a company such as Intertek “shifts the cost of maintaining equipment and skilled staff from compounders and their suppliers and customers to a testing and problem-solving partner.”
Compounders are working with a broader range of
polymers and additives than ever before,
increasing the need for
precise testing and analysis
September 2015 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 57
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