The paper, written by Dr Xi Peng, Polymer Scientist at Lucideon, discusses some of the principles and methods of testing and analysis which are applied to plastic products to perform effective failure analysis.  Failure analysis is often performed to find the root cause of the problem, when products have failed in application, but can also be applied retrospectively, to test the limitations of products in development.

Xi said:

“Plastics are revolutionary materials, changing the way we live in many ways, but their application can also lead to some common failures due to their unique characteristics.  Often we see failures because they are either being used in applications they are not fit for, or they are used in environmental conditions that affect their chemical or physical makeup, making them unfit for purpose.

“This paper details some of the limitations of plastic materials along with their common failure modes, and the techniques that can applied to analyze failures.  Often, where we see plastics being used, any limitations are outweighed by the benefits of using the material.  With failure analysis those limitations can be understood to help develop a better end product and increase the safety of the product in use.”

Lucideon performs testing and analysis and consultancy services for a wide range of industries including healthcare, construction, ceramics, aerospace and defence and nuclear.  Its materials experts work from state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and the USA, equipped with the latest in analytical instrumentation, to support its failure analysis services.

The white paper can be downloaded via the Resources panel on the right of this page.