Troubleshooting Plastics and Polymers Manufacturing

Improper additive formulation – excess or un-reacted additive

1. Scrape material from surface
2. Measure by single-bounce ATR

1. Search libraries to identify the unknown material
2. Adjust formulation based on identified material

Nicolet Apex FTIR Spectrometer
Smart iTR Diamond ATR accessory
OMNIC Specta Software for Polymer Labs

Plastic and polymer hazing, streaking, or incorrect colors

Improper formulation: additives or fillers; contamination; poor mixing

1. Measure directly, or excise outer or inner material from sample
2. Measure using diamond ATR Mid-IR or Far-IR for inorganic fillers

1. Compare to reference part data and search libraries to identify differences
2. Change formulation if appropriate

Nicolet Summit iS50 FTIR Spectrometer
Built-in Diamond ATR accessory
Solid-substrate beamsplitter
OMNIC Specta Software for Polymer Labs

Oily and tacky plastics and polymers

Improper additive formulation or contamination

1. Wipe or scrape surface to isolate material, or perform direct analysis
2. Measure residue or sample surface on single bounce ATR
3. Measure reference part or sample with surface cut off

1. Search libraries to identify material
2. Adjust formulation or change process to avoid contamination

Nicolet Summit X FTIR Spectrometer
Everest Diamond ATR Accessory
OMNIC Paradigm Software with Polymer Library

Plastic and polymer inclusions, delamination, and fisheyes

Poor processing, contamination

1. Isolate any included contaminants
2. Use sample cross-sectioning to view layers
3. Perform microscopic analysis:
a. FT-IR: ≥5 μm
b. Dispersive Raman: ≥1 μm

1. Search libraries to identify contamination
2. Change process to avoid contamination

Nicolet iN10 FTIR Microscope
OMNIC Paradigm Software for Polymer Labs

Plastic and polymer roughness, speckles, mars, and bubbles

Contamination: surface or embedded processing problem (trapped gas)

1. Isolate surface or embedded material
2. Measure using single-bounce Diamond, ZnSe or Ge* ATR

*Ge for carbon-filled polymers

1. Search libraries to identify contamination
2. Change process to avoid contamination

Nicolet Apex FTIR Spectrometer
Smart iTR Diamond ATR accessory
OMNIC Specta Software for Polymer Labs

Plastic and polymer brittleness, cracking, and weakness

Oxidation, degradation, contaminant, incorrect material

1. Excise surface or inner material
2. Measure by single-bounce ATR

1. Compare to reference part
2. Identify unexpected components
3. Ensure material is correct for conditions; change formulation as needed

Nicolet Apex FTIR Spectrometer
Smart iTR Diamond ATR accessory
OMNIC Specta Software for Polymer Labs

Diminished physical properties in plastics and polymers

Crystallinity, structure, polymorphism, inorganic additives, degradation, contamination

Measure directly using Raman or single-bounce Diamond ATR in Far-IR range

1. Search libraries using spectral region search to identify components
2. Optimize formulation or manufacturing process

Nicolet iS50 FTIR Spectrometer
iS50 Raman module
Built-in Diamond ATR accessory
Solid-substrate beamsplitter

Plastic and polymer materials that are too hard or too soft

Improper formulation:

Co-polymers, plasticizers, fillers (>1% by weight)
Low-level additives (<1%)

1. Measure directly using single-bounce Diamond, ZnSe or Ge* ATR
2. May require cutting away top surface to expose interior

*Ge for carbon-filled polymers

1. Calculate peak height or area ratio
2. Verify co-polymer ratios
3. Adjust formulation and check ratios routinely

Nicolet Summit X FTIR Spectrometer
Everest Diamond ATR Accessory
OMNIC Paradigm Software with Polymer Library

Plastic and polymer swelling

Surface contamination

1. Extract contamination into solvent
2. Dry onto ATR crystal or IR window
3. Measure using transmission

1. Search libraries to identify contamination
2. Determine if polymer or formulation is appropriate for application

Nicolet Summit X FTIR Spectrometer
Everest Diamond ATR Accessory
OMNIC Paradigm Software with Polymer Library

Plastic and polymer warping

Improper formulation, incorrect processing conditions (if nothing found wrong with formulation)

1. Measure directly using single-bounce Diamond, ZnSe or Ge* ATR
2. May require cutting away top surface to expose interior

*Ge for carbon-filled polymers

1. Calculate peak height or area ratio
2. Verify co-polymer ratios
3. Adjust formulation and check ratios routinely

Nicolet Apex FTIR Spectrometer
Smart iTR Diamond ATR accessory
OMNIC Specta Software for Polymer Labs

Wear and premature failure in plastics and polymers

Wrong material or formulation, material failure, extreme use conditions

1. Measure directly using single-bounce Diamond, ZnSe or Ge* ATR
2. May require cutting away top surface to expose interior
3. Measure sample and reference part on TGA-IR

*Ge for carbon-filled polymers

1. Search libraries to identify material
2. Compare sample data to reference part data to identify differences
3. Change formulation if appropriate

Nicolet iS50 FTIR Spectrometer
Built-in Diamond ATR accessory
Solid-substrate beamsplitter
TGA Interface module
OMNIC Specta Vapor Phase library

Plastic and polymer odors

Oxidation / Degradation / Contamination

1. Solvent extraction, evaporate solvent
2. Measure residue on ATR or IR window
3. Measure sample and reference part on TGA-IR