Plastics Lab

This lab offers characterization services to plastic materials, guaranteeing your products´ quality.

Services:
  • Studies for Food industry (packaging & plastic films): Global & Specific migration tests, according to 10/2011 Rules, oxygen & water vapour permeability studies according to ASTM E398, ASTM F-1249, ISO 15106-2, thickness measurement in multilayer materials.
  • Mechanical characterization: Tensile, Young modulus, elongation, flexural, compression and hardness (Shore A & D) tests.
  • Optical characterization: Haze, brightness, colour, transparency and transmittance measurements.
  • Thermal characterization: Vitreous transition temperature, fusion temperature, crystalline percentage.
  • Characterization of polymers.
  • Additive and residual substances´ characterization. Identification and quantification of additives and charges through FTI, GC, GC-MS and HPLC. Losses by calcination and SEM analysis of ashes. Percentage definition of fiberglass.
  • Behaviour analysis against external agents. Effects of immersion in liquids according to ISO 175, accelerated weathering in climatic chambers & QUV.
  • Materials´ selection and analysis
  • Optimization of extrusion processes
  • Additivation studies
Equipment:
  • Infrared spectrometer FTIR
  • Gas chromatography (MS, FID and TCD)
  • Liquid chromatography HPLC
  • Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA) and simultaneous analyser TGA-DSC, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
  • Colorimeter, Glossmeter, Microcolour, Hazemeter and spectrophotometry
  • Electron microscopy (SEM & FEG-SEM).
  • Equipment for mechanical tests (universal testing machine specific for plastic materials (ranging from 100N to 600kN), contact extensometers and video, impact equipment for weight drop until 1600J, advanced machining equipment, manual stamping, taber abrader, Hardness testers shore A & D).
  • Oxygen and water vapour permeability
  • Migration test equipment
  • SOXHLET & ASE 200 Extraction Systems
  • Climatic chamber with temperature, moisture and UV radiation control
  • Furnace with controlled atmosphere up to 1100º
  • Double-spindle extruder
  • Dr Collin extrusion-lamination pilot plant
  • Hot-plate press
  • UV & NIR Curing furnaces
  • PV laminator
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