Contract Analysis | Polymers | X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
Insulation of electrical conductors is a critical safety feature to prevent short circuits, fire hazards or electric shocks. An insulator is a material or medium that has a high resistivity towards conducting electric current. There are numerous materials employed to achieve such insulation like polymers (typically Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene (PE) and rubbers), ceramics, sand, air or vacuum.
Insulation of electrical wires and home cables can be achieved by covering them with suitable polymer layers. Its properties – mechanical behaviour, chemical stability, fire resistance and others, are usually modified or improved by additives.
In this study, identification of additives on the surface of a polymer insulator of electrical wires was performed using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) with parallel beam geometry. The obtained diffractogram, shown below, allowed the identification of two different additives: calcite-for improved stiffness and impact resistance, and a Mg-Al layered double hydroxide- for flame retardation.
The equipment used in this work was Smartlab from Rigaku equipped with a 9kW rotating anode X-Ray generator. Smartlab is an automated multipurpose X-ray diffractometer with a theta/theta configuration. For more information, please click on the brochure.
Analysis reports can be prepared in English (default), Portuguese or Spanish.
Other services can be requested on demand. They include analytical methods development and validation, route cause analysis support, reverse engineering support and technical consultancy in material characterization.