Polymer Testing

Polyhedron Lab's Polymer Testing services are performed by its staff of degreed polymer chemists.

Polymers are large molecules made up of repeat units which connect to each other in either linear, branched or three dimensional networks. The number of units can be variable into the multi thousands. The existence of polymers as defined above was only first recognized in the 1920's. Polymer science is an inter disciplinary field requiring knowledge of organic chemistry, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry and now in some instances biochemistry. There are only a handful of universities that offer degrees in polymer science or polymer chemistry in the United States.

Polymer chemistry comprises the whole universe of polymers also referred to as macromolecules. The breakdown of polymer chemistry into sub categories is dependent on the commercial use of the polymer. For example, the following list below indicates the category and its use.

Plastics
Polymers for commodity and engineering purposes.
Rubber or Elastomers
Polymers for flexible and elastic applications.
Coatings
Polymer for decorative and corrosive applications.
Natural Polymers and Biopolymers
Polymers from living organisms that have useful applications in our society.
Inorganic Polymers
Mostly silicones used for thermal resistance and sealing characteristics.
Specialty Polymers
Polymers for a multitude of other applications such as extenders, lubricants, antioxidants, photo voltaic pharmaceuticals and electronic applications to name a few.

Polyhedron Laboratories has the expertise, experience and equipment to analyze, test and solve problems in most of the above areas.