The drying curve describes the drying characteristics for a polymer at a specific temperature. It tracks the weight loss due to moisture desorption from the polymer as a function of time at a set temperature and will give you a good indication of the processability of your polymer.
Polymers, especially more hydrophilic polymers like nylon, tend to pick up moisture from the atmosphere and this moisture can affect the quality during further processing steps (e.g. injection molding). Knowledge of the drying curve of your polymer will help you to ensure properly dried polymer prior to processing and a consistent output.
Please include information on the physical state (e.g. powder, pellets,...) and chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,..) of your polymer with your order.
Multiple samples? contact us for bulk pricing!

Melt Flow Index (MFI), also known as Melt Flow Rate (MFR) and Melt Index (MI), is a measure of the ease of flow of the melt of a thermoplastic polymer. It is defined as the mass of polymer, in grams, flowing in ten minutes through a capillary at a prescribed temperature by a pressure applied.
Melt flow rate is an indirect measure of molecular weight, with high melt flow rate corresponding to low molecular weight. At the same time, melt flow rate is a measure of the ability of the material's melt to flow under pressure. Melt flow rate is inversely proportional to viscosity of the melt at the conditions of the test.
The test method is described in ISO 1133 and is similar to ASTM D1238.
Please include information on the physical state (e.g. powder, pellets,...) and chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,..) of your polymer with your order.

Melt Volume Rate (MVR) is a measure of the ease of flow of the melt of a thermoplastic polymer. It is defined as the volume of polymer, in cm³, flowing in ten minutes through a capillary at a prescribed temperature by a pressure applied.
Melt volume rate is an indirect measure of molecular weight, with high melt volume rate corresponding to low molecular weight. At the same time, melt volume rate is a measure of the ability of the material's melt to flow under pressure. Melt volume rate is inversely proportional to viscosity of the melt at the conditions of the test.
The test method is described in ISO 1133 and is similar to ASTM D1238.
Please include information on the physical state (e.g. powder, pellets,...) and chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,..) of your polymer with your order.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a powerful technique to determine the heat flowing in-and-out of a material during a defined temperature & time profile. This heat and the temperatures & conditions at which it is manifested can provide information on:
- material properties: heat capacity,...
- physical transitions: phase transitions (e.g. melting, crystallization), glass transitions, polymorphic transitions,...
- chemical reactions & kinetics: polymerization, crosslinking, curing, oxidation,...

More specifically the following parameters can be determined:
- melting temperature & enthalpy: please see our offering "Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): determination of melting point & enthalpy"
- crystallization temperature & enthalpy of crystallization, degree of crystallization
- glass transition temperature (& step height)
- specific heat capacity
- Oxidation Induction Time: please see our offering "Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): determination of Oxidation Induction Time (OIT)"

Please contact us to further discuss your specific measurement requirements.

The Oxidation Induction Time is the time for which an antioxidant stabilizer system present in a material inhibits oxidation while the material is held isothermally at a specified temperature in a stream of oxygen.
Practically a sample is placed in a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and heated to a specified temperature under N2 after which the atmosphere is changed to O2 and the temperature is kept constant (i.e. isothermal). A strong increase in exothermic heat flow indicates the time of depletion of antioxidant stabilizers and the onset of oxidation reactions.
Make sure to include information on the aim of your measurement, your desired measurement conditions (temperature, atmosphere,...) and the chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,... preferably with a safety datasheet) of your polymer with your order. Extra costs may apply depending on the complexity and duration of your requested conditions.
For more information or more complex requirements, please contact us.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) allows the determination of the polymer's melting point and the enthalpy of melting: when melting starts, the added heat is used for the phase transition (i.e. endothermic process), not for an increase in temperature. The peak of the heat flow indicates the melting temperature while the surface area of the peak is a measure for the enthalpy of melting.
Make sure to include information on the aim of your measurement, your desired measurement conditions (temperature range, heating rate,...) and the chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,... preferably with a safety datasheet) of your polymer with your order. Extra costs may apply depending on the complexity and duration of your requested conditions.
For more information or more complex requirements, please contact us."

Measuring the electrical conductivity of water gives a good indication for the presence of ions. Pure deionized water for example has a conductivity of 0,055 microsiemens.

By measuring the characteristics and intensity of the emitted light upon irradiation of the sample with X-rays (so-called X-ray fluorescence or XRF), it is possible to identify and quantify which elements are present in your polymer in a non-destructive way. Although elements like Calcium (and lighter) cannot be detected due to low X-ray yields, XRF is very suitable to detect inorganic fillers and impurities such as residual catalysts or heavy metals.
Please include information on the chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,..) of your polymer with your order.
Multiple samples? contact us for bulk pricing!

The presence of Escherichia Coli bacteria is a good indicator for the presence of fecal material in water and, therefore, of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

In this test, the concentration of the fluoride ion is determined by ion chromatography.

The hardness of water is determined by the amount of dissolved minerals, more specifically Calcium and Magnesium in combination with carbonates.

Heat deflection temperature (HDT) is the temperature at which a polymer starts to “soften” under a load, more specifically when the specimen reaches a set deformation in a bending configuration. It refers to a polymer's ability to remain rigid or “stiff” under a constant load and elevated temperatures.
The test method is described in ISO 75 and is similar to ASTM D648.
The dimensions of the provided samples should be according to the specimen dimensions specified in the standard.
Test specimen can also be prepared at an extra cost, contact us for more information.
Please include information on the chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,..) of your polymer with your order.
Multiple samples? contact us for bulk pricing!

Heavy metals such as Cadmium and Mercury are mainly known for their toxicity, especially for target organs like kidneys, while other elements like Chrome are known to be carcinogenic.
Determining the presence and concentration of these elements is therefore critical to assess the safety of drinking water.
By means of ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy) we can reliably extract and detect these elements in various media such as drinking water, waste water or soil.

Heavy metals such as Cadmium and Mercury are mainly known for their toxicity, especially for target organs like kidneys, while other elements like Chrome and Arsenic are known to be carcinogenic.
Determining the presence and concentration of these elements is therefore critical to assess the safety of drinking water.
By means of ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy) we can reliably extract and detect these elements in various media such as drinking water, waste water or soil.

Izod impact strength test allows determining the impact resistance of materials. A pivoting arm is raised to a specific height (constant potential energy) and then released. The arm swings down hitting a notched sample, breaking the specimen. The energy absorbed by the sample (= energy lost per area) is calculated from the height the arm swings to after hitting the sample and gives an indication of the fracture toughness of the plastic.
The dimensions of the provided samples should be according to the specimen dimensions specified in the standard.
Test specimen can also be prepared at an extra cost, contact us for more information.
Please include information on the chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,..) of your polymer with your order.
Multiple samples? contact us for bulk pricing!

In order to perform tests such as tensile, impact and bending tests, a sample of the polymer has to be prepared in the dimensions required for these tests. This is done by injection molding and the shape (often referred to as dumbbell or dogbone) and dimensions of the sample are described as ISO 3167 type A (also known as ISO 527 type 1A).
Please contact us for more information.
Make sure to include information on the chemical nature (e.g. PP, PE, PET, PA,... preferably with a safety datasheet) of your polymer with your order.

Although typically not considered harmful to humans, Enterococci bacteria are indicators of the presence of fecal material in water and, therefore, of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

The presence and amount of Iodine is analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)

The presence and amount of Lithium is analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)