MATERIALS | TESTING
Putting materials to the test
Materials testing is a key part of the compound development and production process. Today’s focus on recycled polymers makes it even more necessary, writes Chris Saunders
Materials testing is essential in both the develop- ment of new compounds and in order to assess and control long term consistency of production. As demand for more sustainable compounds using recycled content has grown in recent times, testing has become even more critical due to the potential variability of incoming feedstocks. “In the current landscape, widespread use of
recycled plastic has become commonplace. This ubiquity necessitates comprehensive quality control, achieved through meticulous material characterisa- tion,” says Antonio González Jiménez, Characterisa- tion Laboratory researcher at Aimplas, the Techno- logical Institute of Plastics based in Spain. “The industry maintains stringent control over
virgin raw materials through established and standardised analyses. Examples include properties
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like density, flowability, and the utilisation of analyti- cal techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), or thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Mechani- cal characterisation through tensile, flexure, hard- ness, and impact tests ensure homogeneity, guaran- teeing that data are representative of overall production. Manufacturers can make informed decisions based on these properties,” he says. “The use of recycled materials can introduce variability. Depending on their source, these materials may contain non-plastic impurities or mixtures of other plastics,” Jiménez says. “Unlike virgin raw materials, the homogeneity of recycled materials cannot be assumed. Therefore, traceabil- ity and comprehensive characterisation of final properties has become crucial. In recent years,
Main image: Broadening materials portfolios and increasing use of recycled feedstocks makes material testing an ever more necessary part of
compound production
March 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 43
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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