POLYMER TESTING | TECHNOLOGY
Analytical tools advance understanding
Tests measure rheology, polymer structure, and mechanical properties to identify deviations or give direction for optimal formulation and processing. Jennifer Markarian investigates
Analytical testing is important in compound and masterbatch production for quality control and compliance, but beyond this, testing is critical for process and product optimisation. “Testing should help reduce uncertainty during development, scale-up, and industrialisation, ultimately shorten- ing time to market,” said Luis Roca Blay, Com- pounding Leader at Aimplas. He noted that compounding expertise is essential for creating structured optimisation procedures, and that effective testing should be run in parallel with compounding or processing trials. “Quality procedures play a crucial role in ensuring that samples are representative of the evaluated process conditions. Equally important is that
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laboratory methods deliver reliable results within short timeframes, so testing does not become a bottleneck during optimisation,” he said. A key trend in polymer testing for the com- pound and masterbatch sector is a rapid increase in material complexity, said Tim Haake, General Manager at Goettfert. “Formulators are no longer working with a small set of base resins and simple additive packages; instead, they are combining multiple fillers, reinforcements, colorants, stabilis- ers, and functional additives to meet very specific performance targets. This has created a situation where traditional ‘one-number’ tests or single-point measurements are no longer sufficient,” he explained. “Customers are asking more detailed
Main image: The ZwickRoell Mflow extrusion plastometer features an easy filling and pre-compacting process
March 2026 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 29
IMAGE: ZWICKROELL
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