The   idenPol   QA2   has   three   modes   of   operation: 

Comparison,    Confirmation    and    Identification.    The Identification  mode  of  the  system  can  be  used  to identify an unknown plastic material by comparing its behaviour to a library of known thermoplastics (PE, PP,  PA6 etc) that is built into the system software. 
The  idenfication  of  an  unknown  material  requires  a match  of  several  thermophysical  properties  that  are measured as the unknown plastic is heated, these are: 

• Amorphicity - a measure of the degree of orientation of the polymer chains.  
• Glass  transition  temperature  -  the  temperature  at which  non  crystalline  material  starts  to  become mobile and soften. 
• Melting  point  temperature  -  the  temperature  at which crystalline material starts to melt. 
• End point temperature - the temperature at which the plastic loses mechanical integrity.  

Although there are many methods available to confirm the identy of a plastic material, few are as quick—or as cheap—as that of the identiPol. Best of all, an unskilled and untrained operator can be shown how to use the system in just a few minutes.  
The test sample was prepared in the standard way. A couple of plastic granules were first moulded within the identiPol  QA2  to  give  a  consistent  material  for measurement.  This  was  then  followed  by  a  second heating  regime  to  measure  the  properties  of  the unknown sample.  

The following parameters were measured:  

• Amorphicity = Semi-crystalline 
• Glass Transition = 51.5°C 
• Melting Point = 206.8°C 
• End Point = 204.2°C 

Following the test the software displays a table of the closest matches to the unknown. 

The table below illustrates how the unknown plastic has been  correctly  and  unambiguously  identified  as  PA6 (Nylon  6  -  a  material  widely  used  for  its  high  tensile strength),  based  upon  matching  the  measured  parameters with the library stored within the system’s memory.  

The  entire  test,  from  selecting  a  couple  of  plastic  granules, to prinng out a certificate of analysis, takes only 15-20 minutes.