Laboratory of defectoscopy

The Defectoscopy Laboratory is a department of the Institute for Testing and Certification, which offers specialized services in the field of defect characterization of materials within the Accredited Testing Laboratory No. 1004.

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SERVICES OF THE LABORATORY OF DEFECTOSCOPY

Defect characterization is a specific process based on individual cooperation with the customer. After a thorough review of the situation, the laboratory experts will recommend the most appropriate test methods to identify and solve the specific defect based on their long-term experience.

ITC has instruments for spectral, chromatographic, thermal, imaging, elemental and other analyses. This broad spectrum of analytical methods enables the identification and quantification of a wide range of inorganic (including metals) and organic substances, both low molecular weight and high molecular weight (polymers).

Finding the cause of the defect is usually done by comparing the chemical composition of the defective sample with that of the sample without defect. It is also possible to compare the results of the analysis of defective parts with the material specification.

We also offer regular quality control as a means of preventing problems from occurring.

An overview of the most frequently solved defects/problems

• Identification of the causes of part cracking
• Sudden changes in the characteristics and behaviour of parts and materials, changes in colour or odour
• Identification of causes of non-adhesion of paint to parts or non-cohesion of multi-layer materials
• Comparison of chemical composition of samples when material substitution/difference or use of recyclate is suspected
• Material identification of unknown samples, contaminations and inclusions
• Identification of fluorescence, fogging or other deposits on parts
• Identification of - substances released from materials
• Determination of layer thicknesses
• Microscopic imaging of fracture surfaces and surfaces
• Elemental composition of metallic and non-metallic materials
• Quantification and identification of fillers (elements/ash contect)
• Analysis of corrosion (e.g. amines) and corrosion products
• Identification of organometallic compounds
• Professional analysis of the problem, on-site sampling if necessary

Instrumentation

The following analytical techniques are most commonly used for defectoscopy tests:

• Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) - identification of major organic and some inorganic substances
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) - direct injection of a liquid/dissolved sample, thermal desorption method for identification of volatile substances, e.g. additives (TD-GC-MS), pyrolysis for identification of polymeric substances (PY-GC-MS) or injection of the sample directly into an ion source (direct inlet-GC-MS)
• Gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the identification/quantification of compounds in trace amounts
• Evolved gas analysis (EGA)
• X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) - elemental profiling, quantitative and semi-quantitative determination of selected elements
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission and Mass Spectrometry (ICP-OES and ICP-MS) - quantification of selected elements, even in trace amounts
• Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDX) - high magnification imaging of the sample surface and determination of the elemental composition of the surface but also of individual layers or contaminations; allows analysis of very small areas (μm)
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) - determination of thermal characteristics
• Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) - determination of the proportion of individual components (e.g. polymer, fillers, carbon black)
• UV-VIS spectroscopy

We also temporarily offer elemental analysis by LIBS (Laser Excited Plasma Spectrometry).

CONTACTS 

Post address:
Institut pro testování a certifikaci, a.s.
Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Microbiology
trida Tomase Bati 299, Louky, 763 02 Zlin
Czech Republic

The person responsible for accuracy of data: Ing. Daniel Vít