
Learn how X-rays shed light on plastics and polymers
Using XRF and XRD to reveal information about contaminants, composition and structure of polymers
Materials analysis using X-ray sources plays an important role in the development of advanced polymers, and their production. Watch our 35 minute webinar describing how X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction reveal information about contaminants, composition and structure across the full range of polymeric materials.
Learn about:
- Energy-dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF)
- Wavelength-dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF)
- X-ray Diffraction (benchtop, standalone and combined systems)
Why X-ray Diffraction?Why X-ray Fluorescence?
Catalysts in the polymerization process typically use elements such as aluminum, titanium or zinc, while additives routinely contain elements such as magnesium, iron, calcium or chromium. In research and manufacturing, XRF will identify metallic and trace element contamination and perform quantitative analysis of your polymer’s element composition.
Polycrystalline XRD is geared towards polymer development and QA/QC stages. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) enables XRD users to identify the type of polymer and polymorphs, determine the degree of crystallinity (e.g., HDPE versus LDPE), and more microstructures measure the crystalline size of scattering domains (e.g., intergrowth of alpha-polypropylene in beta-polypropylene).