Plastics: quality testing , standards and equipment used

Here's a comprehensive breakdown of plastic quality and testing:

Physical Testing:

• Impact strength
• Tensile strength
• Flexural properties
• Hardness
• Density
• Dimensional stability
• Melt flow rate
• Shrinkage 

Chemical Testing:

• Composition analysis
• Migration testing
• Chemical resistance
• Weathering resistance
• UV stability
• Additive content
• Plasticizer content
• Heavy metals

UV (Ultraviolet) Stability: tests material's resistance to sun damage/degradation. It  prevents yellowing, cracking, brittleness. This characteristic is added through UV stabilizers/additives. 

It is important for outdoor products or long-term storage. 

It is measured in hours/years of UV exposure resistance

Thermal Testing:

• Heat resistance
• Thermal stability
• Melting point
• Glass transition temperature
• Heat deflection
• Thermal conductivity
• Flame resistance
• Thermal expansion

Quality Parameters:

• Surface finish
• Color consistency
• Contamination
• Void content
• Weld lines
• Flash
• Warpage
• Dimensional accuracy

Process Control:

• Temperature control
• Pressure monitoring
• Cycle time
• Material drying
• Moisture content
• Machine parameters
• Quality checks
• Process documentation

Regulatory Testing:

• Food contact compliance
• Medical grade testing
• Environmental compliance
• Safety standards
• Industry specifications
• Material certifications
• Documentation
• Traceability
• Performance Testing:
• Durability
• Environmental stress
• Fatigue resistance
• Creep properties
• Aging studies
• Load bearing
• Impact resistance
• Wear resistance

Quality Systems:

• ISO standards
• SPC implementation
• Documentation
• Training
• Auditing
• Corrective actions
• Preventive measures
• Continuous improvement

SPC (Statistical Process Control) Implementation: is a system to monitor/control production quality. It uses data and statistics to detect problems early

Specialized Testing:

• Optical properties
• Electrical properties
• Barrier properties
• Biodegradability
• Recyclability
• Color fastness
• Odor testing
• Gas permeability

Equipment Used:

• Universal testing machines
• Spectrometers
• Chromatographs
• Impact testers
• Melt indexers
• Environmental chambers
• Optical microscopes
• Hardness testers

Simple definitions:

Spectrometers: It measures light/radiation interaction with materials, is used to identify material composition and tests material quality and purity

Chromatographs: Separates and analyzes mixtures, tests material composition and identifies contaminants