Plastic Materials Testing & Laboratory Consulting
Companies and counsel use our accredited affiliate-lab network three ways:
In every case the testing is performed by independent A2LA-accredited laboratories, so the data is unbiased and defensible, and the results are interpreted by polymer scientists who explain what they mean in plain language. Our team has supported 580+ litigation-related projects and serves aerospace, medical, energy, transportation, and consumer-product clients with the full analytical menu: FTIR, SEM with EDS, GC-MS, DSC, TGA, GPC, mechanical testing, and accelerated aging.
In the Lab
Pictured: Accredited materials testing
580+
Litigation-Related Projects
A2LA
Accredited Affiliate Labs
Full Menu
Polymer Analytical Suite
3-Way
Forensic · Design · Regulatory
Case Snapshots
The fact patterns we see most often on materials testing engagements.
The Challenge
Three problems make materials questions hard:
A recurring trap: a part can meet every dimensional specification and still fail, because parts fail at internal flaws such as voids, contamination, and fiber bundles that a dimension check never catches.
Approach & Methodology
We use a scientific methodology matched to your application's requirements; the specific techniques are PEG proprietary methods. At a high level, a materials-testing program moves through three phases.
We match the tests to the questions your matter must answer, using a scientific methodology tuned to your application rather than a fixed checklist. For clients who engage us at the design stage, a DFMA and FMEA review helps define the right program.
All testing runs through independent A2LA-accredited or ISO-accredited laboratories to eliminate bias, and results are shared with all parties.
Using our proprietary methods, we determine whether the failure traces to grade, processing, contamination, or service life, and we explain what the result proves and who it points to.
Browse our full catalog of 257+ standardized test methods across ASTM, ISO, and AS/NZS standards.
Key Findings
CT and SEM/EDS establish the failure mode; if it is environmental stress cracking, FTIR and GC-MS identify the chemical and then its source.
GPC showing an excess of short polymer chains proves excessive regrind or in-service degradation, both of which weaken the part.
A change of resin grade or supplier is proven by GPC (chain-length distribution) plus LC-MS (additive package), beyond what FTIR and DSC alone can confirm.
TGA, mechanical testing, and OIT show when filler content, strength, or antioxidant levels fall below specification, and internal flaws such as voids, contamination, or fiber bundles explain parts that pass a dimension check yet fail in service.
We report a minimum expected service life for a defined set of use conditions with a stated confidence level, not a single unqualified number.
Industry Verticals
Each sector has its own standards, failure modes, and consequences. We tailor the analytical program to the regulatory environment and the materials at risk.
Structural composites, seals, and wire insulation must survive extreme cycling and meet FAA accreditation and AC 23-20 guidance; the most common composite failure we see is parallel fiber alignment at weld lines from a poorly located mold gate, which a mold fill-and-pack analysis would have prevented.
Implantable and body-contact polymers require ISO 10993 biocompatibility and extractables-and-leachables testing and an ISO 14971 risk assessment, with chemical characterization now central since the 2018 to 2023 updates; the lesson our team has testified to is that an unstable polymer should never be chosen for permanent implantation when an inert material is available.
Coatings, cable insulation, and tank liners need carefully designed Arrhenius testing, often at five temperatures, with ASTM D543 to capture petroleum-chemical exposure.
Under-hood parts face heat and fluids, and lightweighting has consequences. In one matter a plastic composite automotive part failed in brittle fashion because it could not withstand high-speed vibration, with fatal consequences.
Across toys, housewares, and sporting goods we start with a CT scan, then SEM/EDS for the failure mode, then FTIR or GC-MS when the mode is stress cracking (ESC).
Outcome & Impact
In a product-failure matter the part was specified to contain 30 percent glass fiber for strength; our TGA analysis showed it actually contained only 15 percent, which explained the failure and established the material non-conformance.
DSC proved a part molded from material that was supposed to be a single polyolefin actually contained both polypropylene and high-density polyethylene, while GPC showed a population of short chains that revealed degradation, and the case settled when the report was disclosed.
In design and supplier work, FTIR and DSC acceptance testing, backed by GPC and LC-MS, has caught material substitutions before the parts reached the market, avoiding field failures and recalls.
Why This Matters
Three forces are raising materials risk right now:
Against any of these, a forensic testing program is a modest investment relative to the matter, recall, or regulatory delay it addresses, which typically runs into six figures or more.
Quick-Reference Checklists
Attorney / Litigation Support
Engineer / Product Development
Regulatory / Compliance
FAQ
Related Use Cases & Services
All polymer failure modes across products, parts, pipes, and coatings.
Read moreCourt-admissible forensic testing services and the full A2LA-accredited analytical menu for attorneys and insurers.
Read moreThe Four-Parameter framework for resolving design-versus-molding-defect disputes with CT, SEM, FEA, and mold-flow analysis.
Read moreAccreditations & Affiliations
Independent accredited labs across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and the Middle East
Litigation Attorney
Our network of independent, A2LA-accredited affiliate laboratories delivers FTIR, SEM, GC-MS, DSC, TGA, GPC, and mechanical testing with full chain of custody and court-ready expert reports, across 580+ litigation-related projects for plaintiff and defense counsel.
Engineer / Product Company
Our polymer materials expert consultants catch the problem before it becomes a field failure.
Regulatory / Compliance
Our accredited testing and documentation support submissions across medical, aerospace, and energy.
Share the application, what you need confirmed, and what you have. We will respond within one business day with next steps and the analytical menu that fits the question.
Fast Initial Review
No-cost initial assessment for attorneys, insurers, manufacturers, and property owners.
Independent A2LA-Accredited Testing
Court-ready data built to survive a Daubert challenge.
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