Rubber is a polymer with flexible properties that allow it to withstand multiple deformations before breaking. It is an incredibly versatile, all-purpose material, widely used in domestic and industrial fields. However, vast applications make rubber analysis services in great demand, and one of the most frequent analysis tasks is to deformulate a rubber product in order to obtain as much information of the types of ingredients that have been used in its manufacture and the level of these ingredients. This work is a challenging task to undertake. In order to provide the greatest opportunity for success in this work, rubber analysts must have access to comprehensive analytical techniques in addition to a thorough understanding of rubber technology. With the successful analysis of hundreds of rubber products and advanced and comprehensive laboratory instruments and technologies, Alfa Chemistry can analyze any complex chemical formulations of rubber to determine the compositions and quantity of all their components.
Why Perform Rubbers Deformulation?
There can be a number of reasons why a deformulation task is embarked upon, including:
- To ensure the correct formulation was used initially.
- To assist in a research and development programme by obtaining information on products that are already in the market.
- To investigate the regulatory compliance of rubber formulation.
- To better understand the structural problems of rubber but also to characterize its defective quality.
- To improve the performance of a rubber.
- To investigate patent infringement and product failure analysis or to identify contamination.
- ...
Meet Our Services
Alfa Chemistry's deformulation lab has the ability to test a wide range of rubber products. And we perform customized extractions and specialized instrumental techniques to identify and quantify the ingredients or composition of a rubber product. In this regard, we offer multiple levels of deformulation service.
Rubber products we deformulate include, but are not limited to:
- Acrylic Rubber (ACM)
- Butadiene Rubber (BR)
- Butyl Rubber (IIR)
- Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSM) / Hypalon
- Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM)
- Fluoroelastomers (FKM)/ Viton
- Isoprene Rubber (IR)
- Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
- …
- Polychloroprene (CR) / Neoprene
- Polysulfide Rubber (PSR)
- Silicone Rubber (SiR)
- Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR)
- Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM)
- Polyurethane (AU)
- Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE)
- Natural Rubber (NR)
- Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM)
In addition, whether your rubber sample is in solid, liquid, latex or powder, Alfa Chemistry can provide you with a deformulation service. All in all, no matter what type of rubbers, we can serve you.
Ingredients contained in rubber products we test include, but are not limited to:
Various polymer (reference as above), plasticizer, process oil, carbon black (CB), inorganic filler (such as barium sulfate (BaSO4) (i.e., barytes), silica, silicates (e.g., clays) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3)…), additive (such as antidegradants (ultraviolet stabilisers, antioxidant, antiozonants, etc.) cure system additives, miscellaneous additives (blowing agents, flame retardants, resins, pine tar and factice, peroxide co-agents, stearic acid…)) and others.
Our rubbers deformulation capabilities include, but are not limited to:
- Full identification & quantification of all chemical components
- Semi-quantitative identification of major and minor ingredients
- Identification of major or substrate ingredients
- Quantification of specific components
Techniques and Instruments
Alfa Chemistry uses various techniques and instruments for deformulation of rubbers, including but not limited to:
How We Proceed?
Please kindly note that our products and services are for research use only.
