Polymers & Plastics.
BEAR's high-tech FTIR spectrometer can quickly identify almost all plastic, rubber, other non-metallic materials and their additives. Â The pipe fitting shown to the left is an example; it was found to be made of Polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC. Â PVC is commonly used in construction and can be made softer and more flexible by adding phthalates. Â Without adequate amounts of these additives, PVC is quite brittle, leading to unwanted cracking, leaks and failure.
FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infra-Red) spectroscopy uses a laser to measure the absorption and transmission of test specimen of various wavelengths of infrared light. Â The absorption spectrum shown is for pure PVC. Â
The quick reliable turnaround (Testing only takes a few minutes) provides a valuable capability at BEAR for assessing a wide variety of product and equipment failures.

