--- type: "WebPage" title: "Laboratory study of the crystallinity of a polymer in accordance with ISO 11357-7" description: "You want to study the crystallinity of a polymer in accordance with the ISO 11357-7 standard What are polymers? Polymers are materials made up of long linear carbon chains that may contain side chains called branches.If the organisation of these..." resource: "https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/crystallinity-polymer-iso-11357-7/" tags: ["EN", "pll_687e0a84da44f", "Thomas GAUTIER"] timestamp: "2025-12-31T08:32:25Z" published: "2025-07-21T10:29:21Z" language: "en" author: "Laure Durieux" --- # Laboratory study of the crystallinity of a polymer in accordance with ISO 11357-7 ## You want to study the crystallinity of a polymer in accordance with the ISO 11357-7 standard ### What are polymers? Polymers are materials made up of long linear carbon chains that may contain side chains called branches. If the organisation of these chains has no long-range order, polymers are described as amorphous materials and can be represented schematically by a statistical ball of chains. They are then characterised by a glass transition temperature Tg corresponding to the change of state between so-called rubbery materials (soft and viscous if T > Tg) and so-called glassy materials (hard and brittle if T < Tg). Furthermore, if the chains adopt a regular conformation, the polymers exhibit long-range order and are described as crystalline. ### Understanding the crystallinity of a polymer: a performance issue Crystallinity is a key property of polymer materials: it has a direct influence on their mechanical strength, temperature resistance, transparency and ageing behaviour. In an industrial context, mastering this property makes it possible to : - Validate a choice of material - Check the quality of a production batch - Optimise a shaping process - Compare formulations or monitor changes over time ### A method standardised by ISO 11357-7 **ISO 11357-7** defines a method for [measuring the crystallinity of semi-crystalline polymers](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/filab-quantifies-polymer-crystallinity-by-dsc.md) using **differential scanning calorimetry ([DSC](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-dsc-calorimetric.md))**. It is based on the determination of the heat of fusion measured during a controlled thermal cycle. The data obtained can be used to : - calculate the percentage of crystallinity in relation to a 100% crystalline reference polymer - distinguish between amorphous and crystalline phases - monitor the influence of successive heat treatments or recycles ## The FILAB laboratory can help you study the crystallinity of a polymer in accordance with the ISO 11357-7 standard ### Why choose FILAB to study polymer crystallinity according to ISO 11357-7? With significant experience in [materials characterization](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/laboratory-material-testing/), [FILAB](https://filab.fr/en/) can help you with your [polymer characterization](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/laboratory-material-testing/laboratory-polymer-characterization/) needs. Every day, our teams of engineers and PhDs work with manufacturers faced with problems relating to the structure, formulation or performance of their polymers. ### To find out more about polymers [Characterization of polymers](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-analysis-composite-material/) by [FTIR](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-ftir-spectroscopy.md), [DSC, ATG, ATG-FTIR, GPC, NMR, SEM...](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory.md) [Performance optimization](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/chemical-analysis-laboratory.md) [Analysis of plastic powders or granules](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-analysis-powder-characterization.md) Calorimetric analysis [Deformation of polymers](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/deformulation-polymers-laboratory.md) Study of morphology (porosity) Study of [thermal properties](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/laboratory-analysis-thermal-degradation-polymers.md) by DSC, ATG, ATG-FTIR Determination of[the cross-linking rate](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/polymer-materials-analysis-laboratory/laboratory-determination-crosslinking-agents.md) Determination of [molecular weight](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/chemical-analysis-laboratory/analysis-and-measurement-of-molecular-weight-in-the-laboratory.md) by GPC ## FAQ What is the crystallinity of a polymer? Crystallinity represents the ordered (crystalline) part of a polymer as opposed to its amorphous (disorganised) part. It has a direct influence on the material's mechanical, thermal, optical and processing properties. Why analyse the crystallinity of a polymer? The study of crystallinity can be used to : - Check material quality (raw materials or finished products) - Validate the conformity of a supplier - Understand a product deviation (change in behaviour, brittleness, opacity, etc.) - Monitor the evolution of a polymer during ageing, recycling or heat treatment What is ISO 11357-7? This is an international standard which describes the **methodology for calculating the crystallinity rate** from data obtained **by DSC** (differential scanning calorimetry) analysis. It provides a reliable quantitative assessment, based on the measurement of the heat of fusion. Which technique is used for this analysis? **ISO 11357-7 recommends the use of DSC** (Differential Scanning Calorimetry). This thermal technique is used to : - identify thermal transitions (melting, crystallisation, Tg, etc.) - calculate the heat of fusion and deduce the percentage of crystallinity What types of samples can be analysed? All types of semi-crystalline polymers, in various forms: - granules - films - plates, injected or machined parts - oatings or powders What are the results of the analysis? - Full DSC curve - Characteristic temperatures (melting, crystallisation) - Measured heat of fusion - Calculated crystallinity (%) Can two polymers be compared? Yes, it's a frequent occurrence: - comparison of two suppliers - comparison of a compliant vs non-compliant batch - monitoring changes between two processing cycles Can this analysis be combined with other techniques? Absolutely. Depending on your needs, we can couple DSC with : - SEM to observe surface structure - GPC to analyse molar mass - FTIR to identify the chemical structure - TGA to assess mass loss or thermal stability