ASTM E1131: TGA Compositional Analysis Testing Services
Accredited ASTM E1131 TGA compositional analysis testing from Infinita Lab, performed to the exact standard requirements - accurate, reproducible results with full documentation for compliance, R&D, and quality control programs.
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- Overview
- Scope, Applications, and Benefits
- Test Process
- Specifications
- Instrumentation
- Results and Deliverables
What Is ASTM E1131 TGA Compositional Analysis?
ASTM E1131, Standard Test Method for Compositional Analysis by Thermogravimetry, is a widely used analytical procedure for determining the weight-per cent breakdown of moisture and volatiles, polymer or organic content, carbon black, and ash or inorganic filler in polymers, plastics, rubber compounds, composites, and related organic materials. The method relies on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a technique in which a small sample is placed on a highly sensitive balance pan inside a programmable furnace and heated through a controlled temperature program while its mass is recorded continuously. As temperature rises, the sample loses weight in distinct stages that correspond to physically and chemically distinct components, allowing each fraction to be quantified from the resulting mass-loss curve.
A defining feature of the E1131 procedure is atmosphere switching: the sample is first heated under an inert atmosphere, typically nitrogen, to drive off moisture and volatile species and then to pyrolyse the polymer or organic matrix without oxidation. At a defined temperature, the furnace atmosphere is switched to an oxidising gas, air or oxygen, which burns off carbon black or other combustible residue that survived the inert heating stage. The material remaining at the end of the program consists of ash, mineral fillers, or other inorganic residues. Because each stage isolates a specific compositional fraction, TGA provides a fast, quantitative check on formulation consistency.
This makes E1131 valuable for verifying that compounded materials, particularly rubber and filled plastics, match their specified formulations and for detecting batch-to-batch variation, contamination, or process deviations. Manufacturers, compounders, and quality teams rely on the resulting compositional data to support incoming material qualification, production quality control, competitive benchmarking, and failure-analysis investigations in which formulation deviation is a suspected root cause.
Applications and Benefits of ASTM E1131 TGA Compositional Analysis Testing
Scope
- Determines the weight per cent of moisture and volatile matter lost during the initial low-temperature heating stage of the test.
- Quantifies polymer or organic content through mass loss recorded as the sample decomposes under an inert atmosphere at higher temperature.
- Measures carbon black content by recording the additional mass loss that occurs once the furnace atmosphere is switched from inert gas to air or oxygen.
- Reports residual ash and inorganic filler content as the mass remaining after all combustible material has been driven off.
- Applies to polymers, plastics, rubber and elastomer compounds, composites, and other filled or compounded organic materials.
- Uses a small representative sample, typically on the order of a few milligrams up to a few tens of milligrams, placed on a tared sample pan in the TGA furnace.
- Is based on a controlled heating program, generally run from ambient temperature up to approximately 1000 degrees Celsius, with a defined atmosphere sequence of inert gas followed by an oxidising gas.
- Serves rubber and tyre manufacturing, plastics and compounding operations, automotive and industrial component suppliers, and other industries that depend on filled or reinforced polymer formulations.
- Supports formulation verification, incoming material inspection, and comparison of a compound against a reference or specification.
- Provides data that underpins production quality control decisions, vendor qualification, and root-cause investigations tied to material composition.
Applications
- Verifying rubber and elastomer compound formulations against specifications for carbon black, filler, and polymer content.
- Quantifying filler or reinforcement loading in plastics and composites during product development or quality audits.
- Supporting batch-to-batch quality control checks in compounding and manufacturing operations.
- Investigating suspected formulation errors, contamination, or process deviations during failure analysis.
- Benchmarking a competitor’s or supplier’s material composition against an internal formulation or industry specification.
- Confirming moisture and volatile content in incoming raw materials before processing.
- Providing supporting compositional data for regulatory submissions, technical data sheets, or customer specification compliance.
Benefits
- Delivers quantitative compositional data from a single small-sample test run without extensive sample preparation.
- Distinguishes moisture, organic polymer content, carbon black, and ash in one continuous thermal program.
- Provides a fast, cost-effective screening tool for formulation verification and quality control.
- Generates objective, third-party data that supports specification compliance and supplier qualification decisions.
- Offers reproducible results that can be tracked over time or compared across batches, suppliers, or competitors.
- Supports root-cause analysis when a formulation-related defect or performance issue is suspected.
Our ASTM E1131 Testing Procedure
Sample Preparation
Prepare a clean, representative sample of specified mass.
1Instrument Setup
Calibrate the TGA and select the test atmosphere.
2Sample Loading
Place the sample in the TGA pan.
3Results Reporting
Calculate and report compositional data.
4ASTM E1131 Test Parameters and Requirements
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Materials | Polymers, composites, coatings, filled materials |
| Sample Mass | ~5–20 mg |
| Temperature Range | Ambient to ~1000 °C |
| Heating Rate | Controlled (typically 5–20 °C/min) |
| Calibration | Mass and temperature calibration |
- Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA) – Provides the programmable furnace and integrated balance used to heat the sample and continuously record mass change.
- Analytical Microbalance – Delivers the high-resolution, continuous mass measurement required to detect small, stepwise weight-loss events throughout the test.
- Programmable Furnace – Executes the controlled heating ramps and temperature holds that separate moisture loss, polymer decomposition, and carbon black burn-off into distinct stages.
- Gas Flow Control System – Manages the switch between inert gas (nitrogen) and oxidising gas (air or oxygen) at the specified point in the heating program.
- Sample Pans/Crucibles – Hold the small test specimen on the balance pan and are compatible with the high temperatures reached during testing.
- Temperature and Mass Calibration Standards – Verify furnace temperature accuracy and balance calibration before testing.
- Data Acquisition and Analysis Software – Records the continuous mass-versus-temperature and mass-versus-time data and calculates the weight-per cent value for each compositional fraction.
Equipment and Instrumentation Used for ASTM E1131 Testing
What You Receive: Test Report, Data, and Certification
- A detailed test report presenting the weight percentage of moisture/volatiles, polymer/organic content, carbon black, and ash/inorganic filler content.
- The thermogravimetric curve showing mass change as a function of temperature and time, with each compositional stage identified.
- Documentation of the test atmosphere sequence, heating program, and sample mass used during the analysis.
- Reference to the ASTM E1131 test method and applicable calibration records supporting result traceability.
- Data suitable for comparison against a material specification, reference formulation, or prior production batches.
- An objective, third-party record that can support formulation verification, supplier qualification, and quality or failure investigations.
ASTM E1131 TGA Compositional Analysis FAQs
ASTM E1131 uses thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to determine the amounts of highly volatile matter, medium volatile matter, combustible material, and ash in a material.
ASTM E1131 is applicable to solid and liquid materials, including polymers, plastics, elastomers, oils, carbon-containing materials, and filled compounds where compositional analysis is required.
The typical test range is room temperature to approximately 1000°C, although a lower or higher final temperature may be used depending on the material, testing requirements, and instrument capabilities.
ASTM E1131 can help quantify different mass-loss components and the remaining ash or inert fraction. This information can be used to assess formulation, filler or reinforcing-agent content, carbon-to-polymer ratios, and material consistency.
ASTM E1131 is useful for quality control, material screening, troubleshooting, and comparing a material with a known reference material. The measured composition can help verify whether a material meets specified formulation or performance requirements.
Why Choose Infinita Lab for TGA Compositional Analysis Testing
When your TGA Compositional Analysis results have to hold up - for compliance, a customer audit, or an engineering decision - ASTM E1131 accuracy and an unbiased third-party report matter more than price. Infinita Lab routes your ASTM E1131 TGA compositional analysis testing to ISO/IEC 17025-accredited U.S. partner labs with hands-on method experience, so you get defensible data, transparent reporting, and turnaround times built around your project deadline - not ours.
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