Polymorphism analysis: identifying polymer, additives and fillers

An industrial company may need to verify the composition of a material to secure a development, investigate a non-conformity, compare two references, qualify a supplier, or document a reverse engineering approach. In this context, Polymorphism analysis provides a structured reading of the material: identification of polymers, highlighting any copolymeric nature, qualitative search for monomers, oligomers, residual solvents and semi-volatile organic compounds, as well as assessment of the mineral fraction. This approach is particularly useful for the pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics, plastics processing, packaging and technical materials sectors.

The analysis enables the qualitative search for monomers, oligomers, residual solvents detectable at low temperature, other semi-volatile organic compounds at higher temperature, as well as certain semi-volatile additives such as plasticizers, flame retardants, release agents or antioxidants. To go further on extractable compounds, the study can be supplemented with dedicated investigations such as Organic Additives Analysis Tpp or Organic Additives Analysis Dbp.

The laboratory relies on several complementary techniques: FTIR for screening and polymer identification, pyrolysis-GC/MS at one or more thermal stages for structural identification and the search for characteristic fragments, TGA for determining the mineral fraction, and SEM-EDX for morphological observation and elemental identification of fillers. This combination provides a coherent reading of the material’s base formulation.

Filab supports industrial companies with concrete issues: material comparison, formulation understanding, defect investigation, qualification of new suppliers, or support for innovation. The approach is tailored to your needs and level of expectation, from an initial matrix identification to a more comprehensive study integrating the polymer, identification of additives and mineral fillers.

The laboratory implements an analytical strategy tailored to your objective: understanding the base formulation, searching for identification of additives, characterizing mineral fillers, or carrying out a comparative study between samples. Cross-analysis of the results makes it possible to identify the nature of the polymer, confirm or rule out its copolymeric character, compare fragments to highlight possible differences in chain lengths, and provide actionable insight for R&D, materials expertise and supplier qualification.

The mineral fraction can be assessed by mass percentage, then characterized by elemental identification of constituents such as Ti, Al, Ca or Si. A morphological observation of the fillers completes the interpretation in order to better understand the structure of the material, the nature of the reinforcements or fillers present, and the differences between several batches or suppliers.

When the objective focuses more specifically on organic additives, extraction, gravimetry, HS-GC/MS, GC/MS and LC/HRMS steps can be deployed to search for volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds. These approaches complement pyrolysis and make it possible to refine knowledge of the substances present. To further characterize materials, you can also consult Applications of NMR in Organic Chemistry and Polymer Characterization or Analyzing Additives in Packaging Materials.

Beyond the production of analytical data, the challenge is to provide a clear, technically substantiated interpretation that can be used by quality, R&D, purchasing or industrialization teams. It is important to remember that reverse formulation does not make it possible to obtain the exact recipe of a product with 100% accuracy, including every ingredient and its precise percentage. However, it does make it possible to understand the overall structure of the material, its constituent families and the relevant differences between samples.

Define the objective of the study. Provide the usage context, the presumed nature of the material, and, if needed, the samples to compare. Specify the expected level of investigation: simple polymer identification, broader additive screening, filler characterization, or a comparative formulation study. Receive an analytical strategy tailored to your needs and an interpretation you can use for your technical and industrial decisions.