Forensic Plastics Experts Since 2004
About Plastic Expert GroupForensic plastic failure analysis, from first inspection to final testimony.
We are a group of senior polymer scientists and engineers. For two decades we have delivered forensic plastic failure analysis, expert-witness testimony, and consulting at a level no other firm matches, from first inspection to final testimony. Cofounded in 2004 by Dr. Duane Priddy Sr. and Dr. Duane Priddy Jr., Plastic Expert Group is an ASTM International Organization member, with experts serving on ASTM Committees F17 (Plastic Piping Systems), D20 (Plastics), and F50 (Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Systems).
Featured on
CBS 60 Minutes
2,000+
Client Matters
580+
Litigation-Related Projects
70+
Experts
20+
Years in Practice
Global
US, Europe & Asia-Pacific
Since 2004
Our Story
Plastic Expert Group was cofounded in 2004 by Dr. Duane Priddy Sr. and Dr. Duane Priddy Jr. Duane Sr. brought a 30+ year career at Dow Chemical, where he served as a Principal Scientist and Chief Scientist of the Styrenic Plastics Division. The firm began as a consultancy helping manufacturers improve the quality and reliability of their plastic products.
Law firms soon began asking for expert-witness support, and forensic litigation work rapidly became a major part of the practice. Today we serve attorneys, insurers, HOAs, manufacturers, OEMs, and homeowners alike.
Whatever the matter, we follow the Scientific Method: understand the problem, research it, form a hypothesis, and test to prove or disprove it.
Our Approach
How We Work
Every engagement follows the scientific method, so our conclusions hold up from first inspection to final testimony.
Understand the problem
We define exactly what failed and what is in dispute.
Research
We gather the history, materials, and standards that apply.
Form a hypothesis
We propose the most likely cause based on the evidence.
Test to prove or disprove
We run the analysis in independent, accredited laboratories to confirm the cause.
Leadership
The Management Team
Our management team leads every engagement, blending decades of polymer-science and engineering depth from material makers like Dow Chemical, DuPont, Bayer/Covestro, BASF, 3M, and Celanese, and manufacturers like General Motors, IBM, John Deere, and Bridgestone/Firestone, with operational and technology leadership.
Dr. Duane Priddy Sr.
Cofounder & CEO
A leading authority in forensic plastics, with a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Michigan State University and 30+ years at Dow Chemical as a Principal and Chief Scientist of the Styrenic Plastics Division. A Fellow of both the Society of Plastics Engineers and the Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) division of the American Chemical Society, he is widely recognized for his work on the failure of plastic piping (CPVC, PEX, PP, and PVC) and on the UV, thermal, and oxidative degradation of polymers. He has served as an expert in more than 200 litigations, holds 60+ US patents, has authored 100+ papers and co-edited the Wiley reference Modern Styrenic Polymers, taught as an adjunct professor, and been featured on CBS 60 Minutes.
Dr. Duane Priddy Jr.
Cofounder & Chairman of the Board
Ph.D. in Organic Polymer Chemistry from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Chemistry from Cedarville University. A polymer scientist and senior commercial executive with more than 30 years in the global specialty-materials industry, including roles at Dow Chemical and Bayer/Covestro (with several years in Germany) and as the founding leader of Omnexus, the materials venture formed by Dow Chemical, DuPont, Bayer/Covestro, Celanese, and BASF. He co-founded Plastic Expert Group with his father, Dr. Duane Priddy Sr., and serves as Chairman of the Board. He holds 8 patents and 25 technical publications.
Bowdie Isanhart
Chief Technology Officer
Mechanical engineer (Kettering University, formerly GM Institute) with more than 30 years in plastics, including as a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) product expert at Dow Chemical. He specializes in injection and blow molding, medical TPU, composites, and root-cause failure analysis, holds 7 US patents, and formerly served as an adjunct lecturer at Kettering University. He is a frequently retained forensic expert who has been deposed across piping, consumer-product, and patent matters.
Dr. Florian Koschitzki
Chief Materials Expert
Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ruhr-University Bochum, specializing in the forensic failure analysis of CPVC, PEX, and other piping systems. A testifying expert who has given court testimony on piping, automotive, and medical-device failures, he serves on ASTM Committee F17 (plastic piping systems) and has led forensic investigations for more than 100 clients. His recent work includes SPE ANTEC papers (2024 and 2025) and peer-reviewed research in Advanced Materials Interfaces (2024).
Dr. Heinz Pudleiner
Chief Polymer Scientist & Head of European Operations
Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Göttingen and a 35-year veteran of Bayer/Covestro, where he led global R&D for polycarbonate, light-management, and security and ID-document films (driver licenses, passports, and ID cards). Named on more than 200 publications, presentations, and patent applications, he specializes in polycarbonate and medical-device plastics and leads the firm's European office in Germany. He is also a testifying expert, having given deposition and court testimony.
John Field
Chief AI Officer
A product and technology executive with more than two decades scaling SaaS and enterprise software platforms, including Vice President of Product Management roles at Terminus and Talogy. Founder of the advisory firm ValleyGate Partners, where he helps founders and CEOs turn vision into executable growth, and a computer engineer by training (Purdue University), he leads the firm's artificial-intelligence and technology initiatives.
Heidi Phillips
Director, Global Operations & Controlling
For the past eight years she has run the firm's operations, processes, and finances, keeping client engagements organized and on track from intake through delivery. She is the operational and financial backbone of the team, ensuring every engagement is managed with the same rigor the firm brings to the laboratory. She also volunteers her accounting and financial expertise to help nonprofit organizations strengthen their operations.
Dan Beaudoin
Chief Design Engineer
A chemical engineer and Six Sigma Black Belt with more than 25 years at Dow Plastics designing polymer processes and equipment, including reactors, pilot plants, and prototype molding processes for Styrofoam XPS, expandable polystyrene, and polylactic acid (PLA). Since 2014 he has served as a principal engineer with the firm, applying statistical analysis and process forensics to piping, adhesive, and mechanical failures. He holds multiple US patents.
Company-Wide Expertise
Our Global Expert Team
Beyond our management team, our global expert team includes more than 70 experts and affiliate specialists, organized into 11 disciplines so we can match the exact expertise your matter needs. We staff each project with someone who has spent decades in that niche.
What this covers
Specialist ranks only. Senior management and our independent affiliate-lab network are additional.
Why they are unnamed
Disclosing a specialist only when a matter calls for it protects their independence and their effectiveness in deposition and at trial.
How to use it
Search by capability, material, or method.
| Area of Expertise | Materials and Polymers | What We Investigate | Methods and Techniques | Team Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe and Piping Systems | CPVC, PVC, PEX, HDPE, polybutylene, PP-R, multilayer pipe | Environmental stress cracking, chemical incompatibility, fitting and joint failures, long-term hydrostatic and pressure failures, oxidative degradation, installation defects | Hydrostatic and burst testing, oxidative induction time (OIT), FTIR chemical fingerprinting, SEM fractography, ASTM compatibility testing, non-destructive pipe inspection | 6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Injection and Blow Molding | Engineering thermoplastics, polyolefins, styrenics, PET | Molding defects (knit lines, voids, residual stress), part cracking, process and scale-up failures, tooling and gate issues, blow-molded container failures, in-mold decoration technology including luxury surface materials | Process forensic review, cross-sectioning, DSC crystallinity, residual-stress analysis, dimensional metrology | 6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Extrusion, Film, Sheet and Thermoforming | Blown and cast film, multilayer coextrusion, sheet, barrier films, flexible packaging | Film and sheet defects, delamination, gauge and die-line issues, coextrusion adhesion, thermoforming failures, rheology-driven processing problems | Melt rheology, die and flow analysis, layer microscopy, DSC and TGA, tensile and seal testing | 7 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Polyurethanes, Foams and Thermosets | Rigid and flexible polyurethane, polystyrene and XPS foams, epoxies, thermosets | Foam collapse and shrinkage, cure and formulation defects, adhesion, insulation performance, chemical attack (including spray-foam interactions with pipe), blowing-agent selection for low-density PE and PP foams | Formulation analysis, FTIR, DSC and DMA cure analysis, cellular-structure microscopy | 7 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Adhesives, Sealants and Coatings | Structural adhesives, sealants, industrial and protective coatings, colorants and additives | Bond failures, delamination, cure defects, weathering and UV, color and appearance defects, coating adhesion | FTIR, DSC, lap-shear and peel testing, accelerated weathering, adhesion testing, colorimetry | 6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Silicones and Elastomers | Silicone elastomers, rubber, thermoplastic elastomers | Cure and compression-set failures, sealing and gasket failures, chemical and thermal aging | DMA, compression-set testing, FTIR, TGA, hardness | 3 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Polyolefins and Polymer Synthesis | Polyethylene (HDPE, LLDPE), polypropylene, polystyrene, copolymers, polymer blends | Resin and formulation defects, molecular-weight and additive issues, oxidative degradation, blend compatibility, reactive-extrusion problems | GPC and SEC, FTIR, DSC and TGA, rheology, additive and antioxidant analysis | 10 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Engineering and Specialty Polymers | Nylon and PA (including PA66), PET, engineering resins, biopolymers (PLA), superabsorbents, medical-grade polymers, additively manufactured materials | Hydrolytic and thermal degradation, reinforced-polymer failures, medical-device material performance, biopolymer durability | FTIR, DSC and TGA, mechanical testing, moisture and hydrolysis analysis, SEM | 6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Analytical Chemistry, Failure Analysis and Inspection | All polymer families, with metals adjacencies | Root-cause failure analysis, fractography, contamination, degradation, weld and joint integrity, non-destructive inspection | SEM and EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, GC-MS, optical microscopy, fractography, metallography, ultrasonic inspection, and proprietary non-destructive inspection techniques | 7 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Manufacturing, Scale-up and Product Development | Cross-material | Process scale-up failures, manufacturing defects, quality-system and remediation planning, product-development and design issues | Six Sigma and Design for Six Sigma, statistical process analysis, manufacturing audits, remediation planning | 4 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
| Specialty Materials and Processes | Glass, ceramics, membranes and separation media, oil-and-gas polymers, marine composites, photo-reactive materials | Material-specific failures spanning glass, ceramics, separation and membrane systems, oil and gas, marine, and photochemical applications | Material-specific characterization, microscopy, thermal and chemical analysis | 9 specialists, 25 to 40+ years |
Pipe and Piping Systems
6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: CPVC, PVC, PEX, HDPE, polybutylene, PP-R, multilayer pipe
Investigates: Environmental stress cracking, chemical incompatibility, fitting and joint failures, long-term hydrostatic and pressure failures, oxidative degradation, installation defects
Methods: Hydrostatic and burst testing, oxidative induction time (OIT), FTIR chemical fingerprinting, SEM fractography, ASTM compatibility testing, non-destructive pipe inspection
Injection and Blow Molding
6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Engineering thermoplastics, polyolefins, styrenics, PET
Investigates: Molding defects (knit lines, voids, residual stress), part cracking, process and scale-up failures, tooling and gate issues, blow-molded container failures, in-mold decoration technology including luxury surface materials
Methods: Process forensic review, cross-sectioning, DSC crystallinity, residual-stress analysis, dimensional metrology
Extrusion, Film, Sheet and Thermoforming
7 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Blown and cast film, multilayer coextrusion, sheet, barrier films, flexible packaging
Investigates: Film and sheet defects, delamination, gauge and die-line issues, coextrusion adhesion, thermoforming failures, rheology-driven processing problems
Methods: Melt rheology, die and flow analysis, layer microscopy, DSC and TGA, tensile and seal testing
Polyurethanes, Foams and Thermosets
7 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Rigid and flexible polyurethane, polystyrene and XPS foams, epoxies, thermosets
Investigates: Foam collapse and shrinkage, cure and formulation defects, adhesion, insulation performance, chemical attack (including spray-foam interactions with pipe), blowing-agent selection for low-density PE and PP foams
Methods: Formulation analysis, FTIR, DSC and DMA cure analysis, cellular-structure microscopy
Adhesives, Sealants and Coatings
6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Structural adhesives, sealants, industrial and protective coatings, colorants and additives
Investigates: Bond failures, delamination, cure defects, weathering and UV, color and appearance defects, coating adhesion
Methods: FTIR, DSC, lap-shear and peel testing, accelerated weathering, adhesion testing, colorimetry
Silicones and Elastomers
3 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Silicone elastomers, rubber, thermoplastic elastomers
Investigates: Cure and compression-set failures, sealing and gasket failures, chemical and thermal aging
Methods: DMA, compression-set testing, FTIR, TGA, hardness
Polyolefins and Polymer Synthesis
10 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Polyethylene (HDPE, LLDPE), polypropylene, polystyrene, copolymers, polymer blends
Investigates: Resin and formulation defects, molecular-weight and additive issues, oxidative degradation, blend compatibility, reactive-extrusion problems
Methods: GPC and SEC, FTIR, DSC and TGA, rheology, additive and antioxidant analysis
Engineering and Specialty Polymers
6 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Nylon and PA (including PA66), PET, engineering resins, biopolymers (PLA), superabsorbents, medical-grade polymers, additively manufactured materials
Investigates: Hydrolytic and thermal degradation, reinforced-polymer failures, medical-device material performance, biopolymer durability
Methods: FTIR, DSC and TGA, mechanical testing, moisture and hydrolysis analysis, SEM
Analytical Chemistry, Failure Analysis and Inspection
7 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: All polymer families, with metals adjacencies
Investigates: Root-cause failure analysis, fractography, contamination, degradation, weld and joint integrity, non-destructive inspection
Methods: SEM and EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, GC-MS, optical microscopy, fractography, metallography, ultrasonic inspection, and proprietary non-destructive inspection techniques
Manufacturing, Scale-up and Product Development
4 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Cross-material
Investigates: Process scale-up failures, manufacturing defects, quality-system and remediation planning, product-development and design issues
Methods: Six Sigma and Design for Six Sigma, statistical process analysis, manufacturing audits, remediation planning
Specialty Materials and Processes
9 specialists, 25 to 40+ years
Materials: Glass, ceramics, membranes and separation media, oil-and-gas polymers, marine composites, photo-reactive materials
Investigates: Material-specific failures spanning glass, ceramics, separation and membrane systems, oil and gas, marine, and photochemical applications
Methods: Material-specific characterization, microscopy, thermal and chemical analysis
Team Depth totals 71 specialists, consistent with our 70-plus experts and affiliate specialists.
Pedigree
Where Our Experts Come From
Our team's backgrounds span the companies that make the world's polymers and the manufacturers that put them to work.
Material makers
Manufacturers
Industry Standing
Community Leadership
Beyond our casework, our team built and moderates one of the largest plastics professional communities on LinkedIn. Since 2008 we have grown five groups to more than 58,000 members, spanning plastics, sustainability, elastomers and additives, coatings and adhesives, and failure analysis.
Plastic Experts
33,600+ members
View groupBiodegradable, Bio-based & Renewable Plastics
11,300+ members
View groupPlastics, Elastomers & Additives
6,400+ members
View groupCAS Ingredients: Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants
5,200+ members
View groupPlastic Failure & Analysis
2,200+ members
View group58,000+ members, 5 groups, since 2008.
Why Plastic Expert Group
What Makes Us Different
One firm, from first inspection to final testimony
Failure analysis, testing, design, consulting, and expert testimony under one roof.
Polymer-only focus with PhD-level depth
A metallurgist or generalist does not learn plastics on your matter.
A collective pedigree
Senior experience from Dow Chemical, DuPont, Bayer/Covestro, 3M, and General Motors, and more.
Independent, A2LA-accredited affiliate laboratories
Unbiased, defensible results, plus seats on the ASTM International committees that develop the plastics standards (F17 Plastic Piping Systems, D20 Plastics, and F50 AI in Manufacturing Systems).
Global reach
We operate as a global team: US experts, a European office in Germany led by Dr. Heinz Pudleiner, and a network of independent, accredited affiliate laboratories. This lets us match the right expert and accredited lab to each matter, in the client's jurisdiction.
By the Numbers
58,000+
Community members since 2008
2,000+
Client matters
11
Expert Disciplines
3
ASTM committees (F17, D20, F50)
ISO 17025
Accredited affiliate labs
Accreditations & Affiliations
Independent accredited labs across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and the Middle East
