Chemical tests

Chemical tests

Chemical tests

Chemical-physical and microstructural characterization

The Chemical-Physical and Microstructural Laboratory is oriented to the advanced characterization of materials of different nature and origin (metals, polymers, paint or coating, cellulose and paper…) from the determination of their chemical, physical or structural properties. Knowledge of the composition and structure of materials is of great value in the design of new materials, failure analysis of products or components or quality control.

  • Chemical-physical characterization

    ITAINNOVA’s chemical laboratory has the capacity to carry out elemental quantitative chemical analysis as well as the determination of physical properties such as density, color, brightness, etc.

    Chemical-physical characterization tests

    • Elemental quantitative chemical analysis:
      • Determination of carbon and sulfur in steels and castings. ENAC accredited test.
      • Wet determination of metal content by inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometry (ICP-OES).
      • Determination of trace metal content by atomic absorption with graphite chamber with direct solids analysis (SS-GFAAS) or wet analysis.
    • Qualitative chemical analysis of polymers by FTIR.
    • Determination of gold and silver content in jewelry alloys. ENAC accredited test.
    • Gravimetric determination of silicon.
    • Quantification of reinforcement content in polymers and composites.
    • Determination of moisture and ash content in polymers or cellulosic materials.
    • Determination of pH and chemical conductivity in solutions.
    • Density determination by pycnometer or immersion method.
    • Color measurement by spectrometer.
    • Measurement of gloss and hardness in coatings.
  • Specific characterization of materials

    Thermal analysis of polymers, determination of glass transition temperatures, melting, oxidation times, degree of curing …. Rheological studies and viscoelastic behavior of polymers and resins. Specific characterization of cellulosic material.

    Tests for specific characterization of materials

    Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry by heat flow and compensated power (-90ºC to 600ºC):

    • Determination of glass transition temperature.
    • Determination of temperature and enthalpy of fusion and crystallization.
    • Determination of the specific thermal capacity.
    • Determination of the characteristic temperatures and times of the reaction curve, enthalpy of reaction and degree of conversion.
    • Determination of oxidation induction time and oxidation induction temperature.
    • Determination of crystallization kinetics.

    Thermogravimetric analysis by TGA:

    • Determination of degradation temperatures.
    • Coupled analysis with FTIR for component analysis.

    Qualitative chemical analysis of polymers by FTIR.

    Qualitative chemical analysis of cellulosic materials.

    Rheological analysis:

    • Determination of viscosity profiles.
    • Evaluation of the stability of dispersions.
    • Determination of specific cure time and gel time for resins.

    Determination of viscoelastic properties by dynamo-thermo-mechanical analysis DMA (450N dynamic, 200N static, 1000Hz; 0.001-3mm dynamic displacement):

    • Different deformation modes: tensile, bending, shear and others.
    • Determination of glass transition temperature, elaboration of master curves by means of time-temperature superposition, elastic modulus changes and “damping” behavior as a function of frequency and temperature.

    Quantification of reinforcement content in polymers and other materials.

    Determination of biodegradability according to:

    • UNE-EN ISO 13432:2000
    • UNE-EN ISO 20200:2016
    • UNE-EN ISO 14855-1:2013
    • ISO 14852:2018
    • ISO 17556:2012
  • Microstructural characterization

    Grain size, coating thickness, fiber orientation, graphite shape and distribution. The ITAINNOVA laboratory studies and determines these and other structural constitutive characteristics of materials through the use of various techniques at macro and micro scale.

    Tests for microstructural characterization

    • Macrographed.
    • Determination of grain size.
    • Depth of heat treatment.
    • Classification of graphite.
    • Determination of inclusions.
    • Determination of the microstructure, identification of phases, microconstituents…
    • Thickness measurement of coatings.
    • Characterization and identification of impurities/particles.
    • Fiber orientation in polymer reinforcement and composite materials by image analysis.
    • Microsection analysis of electronic components.
  • Characterization of paints and other coatings

    PAINTS, COATINGS, ETC.

    Tests for physical characterization

    • Tribological characterization of coatings. Determination of friction force. Study of the effect of self-lubricating lubricants or coatings. Reciprocal or Pin-On-Disc configuration. Short (stroke up to 25 mm) and long stroke (stroke up to 1400 mm) tribometers.
    • Abrasion resistance. Taber method.
    • Rheological characterization of paints (determination of cohesive energy density, shear rate, thixotropic behavior, etc.).
    • Coating thickness (induction probe / metallographic cutting).
    • Adhesion: cutting by grating (UNE-EN ISO 2409), adhesion by traction (UNE-EN ISO 4624), adhesion of coatings on fasteners (UNE-EN ISO 10683).
    • Microstructural characterization of a coating. Study of the presence of defects in coatings (presence of pores, cracks, discontinuities, etc.) by microscopic observation.
    • Hardness of a coating (Pencil Method / König Persoz / Erichsen Rod).
    • Folding /density /viscosity / gloss / color / impact / Erichsen embossing.
    • Gravimetric determination of the mass of zinc in galvanized products.

    Climatic tests for paints

    Tests for the characterization of chemical resistance

    • Resistance of organic coatings to chemical agents for domestic use (UNE 48027).
    • Determination of resistance to liquids (UNE-EN ISO 2812).

    Other characterization tests

    • Qualitative and semi-quantitative elemental chemical composition analysis.
    • Thermal characterization of organic coatings by DSC (differential scanning calorimetry). Obtaining thermal properties of the material (melting temperatures, glass transition, etc).
    • Chemical characterization by infrared absorption spectrometer (FTIR).
    • Temogravimetric analysis by TGA with the possibility of gas analysis by IR spectroscopy.

ENAC Accreditations for the Chemical Testing Laboratory:

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