Molded In Stresses
Cracks were observed in transparent thermoformed plastic packaging during visual quality checks. Failures occured in specific material lots.
Polymer Case Study: Curing Issues with Silicone Adhesive
Silicone adhesives provide waterproof, flexible bonding that can withstand chemicals and high temperatures. These adhesives are used in the manufacturing of everything from vehicles and airplanes to electronics and consumer products.
Case Study
A client requested assistance to investigate a recurrent quality issue stemming from failure of a silicone adhesive joint between metal components. An internal investigation uncovered that the cleaning products used in wash and rinse processes of the components had been switched to unapproved formulations; examination of the SDS for these products revealed chemicals known to inhibit cure of silicone adhesives.
Analysis
A solvent extraction was performed on components that were subjected to the unapproved cleaning process and analyzed by LC-MS, alongside reference specimens of the cleaning products.
Result
A known incompatible chemical from one of the cleaning products was detected on the components, suggesting that residual chemicals from the unapproved cleaning products were causing inhibition of the silicone adhesive curing process.
Failure Analysis of Polymers
For more than 50 years, scientists and engineers at Eurofins EAG have investigated and resolved product failures for clients. Our team of experts identify key failure indicators and follow them to the root cause.
Polymeric Materials Evaluated at EAG
Failure analysis of plastics, thermosets, and rubber materials is commonly performed on finished products and typically involve comparative analysis between failed and non-failed samples. Once the potential root cause is identified, experiments can be designed and conducted to test the hypothesis and recreate the failure in the laboratory. Eurofins EAG can evaluate a variety of polymer types, including:
- Raw materials in polymer formulations
- Adhesives (heat/moisture/UV-cured, silicones, epoxies, acrylates)
- Coatings (functional or decorative)
- Thermoplastics, thermosets, thermoplastic elastomers, composites
- Molded, extruded, cast components
Eurofins EAG Laboratories offers a full suite of analytical techniques to evaluate the identity, composition, morphology, topography, and rheology of polymeric materials and components.
- Chromatography: GC, GC-MS, HPLC, IC, LC-MS, Pyrolysis GC-MS, HS/TD/SPME GC-MS
- Inorganic Identification and Quantification: ICP-MS, ICP-OES, SEM-EDS, XRD, XRF
- Physical Testing: Contact Angle, Mechanical Testing, Rheometry, Viscometry
- Spectroscopy: Ellipsometry, FTIR, NIR, NMR, Raman, UV-Vis
- Surface Analysis: Auger, SEM, TOF-SIMS, XPS
- Surface Metrology: AFM, Nanoindentation, Profilometry
- Thermal Analysis: DMA, DSC, RGA, TGA, TGA-IR, TGA-MS, TMA
Contact Our Team
Call +1 800-366-3867 or email us.
Related Resources
- Webinar: Analytical Investigations of Plastics and Polymers
- Webinar: Characterization of Plasma Altered Polymer Surfaces
- Application Note: XPS Analysis of Surface Modified Polymers
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Delamination of Food Packaging
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Environmental Stress Cracking of a Polycarbonate Part
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Incompatible Contaminant
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Molded In Stresses
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Off-Odor Memory Foam
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Weathering Polymeric Films
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Blistering Paint
- Blog: Polymer Case Study: Cracking of Molded Components
- Service: Polymer Chemistry
- Technique: Smart Chart
- Industry: Chemical Testing
- Industry: Consumer Electronics Testing
- Industry: Medical Devices
- Brochure: Failure Analysis of Polymers
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