Aging, in other words time-related changes in essential material properties such as strength, or loss of functional groups, determines the service life of organic substances and polymer materials. The degree of aging as a function of influencing factors such as temperature, moisture, time, exposure to oxygen etc. must be known in order to plan the appropriate application of substances and materials.

For flexible investigations in the field of aging and stability a wide and adaptable range of analytical methods are available, such as GPC, HPLC, GC, IC, FTIR, IR and optical microscopy, TGA, DSC, DMA, TMA, tension testing machines and special devices such as highly-sensitive microcalorimeters and accelerating rate calorimeters. These are complemented by units for accelerated aging, and by methods for the kinetic description of chronological changes in the properties. The experience of the ICT researchers working in this area allows many of the problems of material aging to be solved.

In addition, research is focussed on methods to reduce the effects of aging, for example through the addition of special substances which participate in the chemical reaction and prevent degradation processes in the material, consequently preventing aging.

Offer

• Determination of the aging mechanisms and kinetics of organic substances and polymer materials
• Prediction of the service life of the materials according to their conditions of use (temperature, moisture, time)
• Identification of the causes of aging
• Methods to attenuate aging processes

Applications

• Polymer products, materials and components
• Energetic materials
• Substances with a tendency towards chemical degradation such as peroxides, azides, tetrazoles, nitratesters etc.

Adiabatic self-heating of several energetic substances, measured with an ARC device