Polymer Services for Composition, Rheology & Performance

Polymer Testing Services

Infinita Lab offers an extensive suite of polymer testing services to verify the safety, reliability, and operational performance of polymeric materials used across the aerospace, medical device, packaging, automotive, and manufacturing industries. All analytical procedures are executed in strict adherence to relevant national and international regulatory frameworks.

As the industrial utility of polymeric materials expands, their value is fundamentally predicated on their ability to maintain consistent performance within specified environmental parameters. Consequently, rigorous and precise analytical validation is imperative to substantiate material functionality.

The polymer testing methodologies at Infinita Lab are designed to provide comprehensive empirical data on material integrity and safety. These services help ensure that polymer products meet the rigorous quality standards mandated by modern industrial requirements.

Our Polymer Testing Services

Mechanical Testing

Mechanical testing determines the strength, stiffness, and endurance of a polymer under various conditions, including tension, compression, and bending. By simulating actual service stresses, mechanical testing ensures that polymers will operate safely and reliably under harsh service conditions – from automotive components to industrial equipment – without deformation or failure.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM D638 – Tensile testing for yield strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus – the most fundamental set of mechanical properties for polymers.
• ASTM D790 – Flexural testing for flexural modulus and flexural strength for beam-like parts under bending loads.
• ASTM D256 (Izod) / ASTM D6110 (Charpy) – Impact testing measuring energy absorbed during fracture, critical for impact-sensitive applications.
• ASTM D2240 / D785 – Hardness testing measures surface resistance to indentation and is used for rapid production screening.
• ASTM D2990 – Creep and stress relaxation testing for time-dependent deformation under sustained load, critical for long-term sealing applications.

Polymer Strength Testing

Strength testing assesses the structural strength and hardness of a polymer material, establishing whether it can maintain performance under real-world usage conditions. This testing helps organisations select materials that will withstand day-to-day wear and tear, mechanical stresses, and long-term use across demanding applications.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM D638 – Measures tensile strength and elongation of plastic materials. 
• ASTM D2240 – Shore hardness testing for surface resistance characterisation. 
• ASTM D1505 – Determines the density of polymers.
• ASTM D1238 – Measures the flowability (melt flow rate) of plastics.

Polymer Fatigue Testing

Polymers are regularly subjected to repeated loading and environmental stress in service. Fatigue testing defines the long-term material response, identifies potential failure points, and provides lifespan estimates. This is particularly important for aerospace components, medical devices, and flexible parts subject to cyclic loading.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM D7791 – Fatigue testing under cyclic loading conditions, used to determine the service life of dynamically stressed polymer components.

Chemical Analysis & Resistance Testing

Polymers can encounter a wide range of chemicals during their service life. This test assesses a material’s response to acids, bases, solvents, and reactive chemicals, providing a clear understanding of its resistance and longevity in harsh or corrosive environments.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM D543 – Chemical resistance testing for resistance to immersion in test fluids.
• ASTM D570 – Humidity and moisture resistance testing, measuring water absorption.
• ASTM D1149 – Ozone resistance testing for ozone cracking resistance in elastomers.

Structural Analysis & Characterisation

By analysing molecular structure, composition, and morphology, structural testing identifies defects, establishes material consistency, and confirms the polymer’s structural integrity. It directly supports quality assurance, R&D programs, and formulation optimisation for both new and existing polymer products.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM G154 / G155 – UV weathering tests for photodegradation resistance, supporting long-term structural integrity assessment.
• ASTM D3039 – Tensile testing for polymer matrix composites reinforced with continuous fibres, determining tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio, and strain at failure.

Thermal Analysis

Polymers are exposed to a wide range of temperatures that directly influence their functionality. Thermal analysis determines melting points, glass transition temperatures, and heat stability – defining how a polymer responds to cold and heat. This ensures reliable performance in electronics, packaging, and high-temperature applications.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM D648 – Heat deflection temperature (HDT) testing defines the service temperature limit under load, critical for structural applications.
• ASTM D1525 – Vicat softening point (VSP) testing for the upper use temperature under indentation load.
• ASTM E1131 – Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for decomposition onset, thermal stability, and filler quantification.
• ASTM D3418 – Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for melting, crystallisation, glass transition temperature (Tg), and oxidative induction time (OIT).
• ASTM E1640 – Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) measuring storage/loss moduli versus temperature and determining Tg.

Polymer Characterization

Polymer characterisation involves a comprehensive examination of the chemical composition, molecular structure, and physical attributes of a material. Through molecular weight distribution analysis, crystallinity measurement, thermal characterisation, and structural morphology analysis, this testing detects defects, variations, or contamination that could impair performance. It ensures the polymer meets design requirements, retains structural integrity, and operates consistently under expected conditions – particularly in high-stakes applications such as medical devices, aerospace components, and precision industrial parts.

Relevant ASTM Standards:

• ASTM D3418 – Evaluates transition temperatures, such as melting, glass transition, and crystallisation, and the enthalpy of crystallisation of polymers using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), enabling material identification, specification acceptance, and process control.
• ASTM E1356 – Assigns glass transition temperatures to materials using DSC, tracking variations in specific heat capacity to identify crucial thermal events in polymers and amorphous solids.
• ASTM D3418, D3471, D3895, and E1269 – DSC thermal analysis suite evaluating the broader range of thermal properties.
• ASTM F732 – Wear resistance testing of polymeric materials, specifically for evaluating wear properties of materials considered for use as bearing surfaces in total joint prostheses, conducted under lubricated physiological conditions.