Polymers and Plastics Identification

Polymers and plastics are a growing source of customer complaints because of their increase use in a wide range of applications.  RSSL's Microscopy testing Department uses Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) as the principle technique to analyse between a wide variety of plastic contaminants.  The spectra obtained are compared against reference data available in an extensive polymer library or in RSSL's own plastics database.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) can also be used to characterise plastics by analysing the melting point, degree of crystallinity and glass transition temperature.  In some cases, this will help differentiate between forms of the same polymer.

RSSL's polymers and plastics identification service can:

• Distinguish between plastics, glass and crystalline materials
  
  
• Identify the composition and source of plastic fragments
  
  
• Distinguish, for example, high and low density polythene