The following materials are routinely analysed:

• Thermoplastic plastics (eg nylon and polypropylene) and thermoplastic composites
• Thermoset plastics (eg epoxy and phenolic) and thermoset composites
• Rubbers
• Fillers and fibres

Typical analytical methods include:

• Spectroscopic analysis to identify polymer and rubber type - FTIR
• Thermal analysis to identify thermal transitions, composition (% by weight) and polymer type - DSC, TGA
• Electron microscopy to image sample structure and perform elemental analysis - SEM and EDS
• Optical methods - optical microscopy, refractive index
• Hardness - Shore

Identification is typically required for:

• Failure analysis
• Analysis of competitors' materials - reverse engineering
• Confirmation of polymer supply
• Product development
• Analysis of suitable equivalent materials
• Recycling