Degradation service technology

Degradation Service Technology – Accredited Material and Product Degradation Testing for Global Markets

Our internationally accredited laboratory delivers a comprehensive degradation service technology platform that empowers manufacturers of plastics, packaging materials, textiles, coatings, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods worldwide to evaluate and quantify the breakdown behaviour of their products under controlled environmental, thermal, hydrolytic, photolytic and biological conditions. Every test is conducted under the rigorous framework of ISO/IEC 17025, and each report bearing the ILAC mark is unconditionally accepted by regulatory authorities, notified bodies and supply‑chain partners in all major economies. The degradation service technology we provide is designed to answer the critical questions that product developers, quality managers and regulatory specialists ask: How long will this material persist in the environment? Does it meet the compostability standards required for the European market? What is the service life of this polymer under the simultaneous attack of heat, moisture and ultraviolet radiation? By employing a suite of internationally harmonised test methods – ranging from respirometric biodegradation assays and simulated composting facilities to xenon‑arc accelerated weathering chambers and high‑resolution thermogravimetric analysers – we deliver the legally robust, defensible degradation data that underpin product certification, eco‑label claims, shelf‑life predictions and the demonstration of compliance with the EU Single‑Use Plastics Directive, the REACH Regulation, the US FDA and the global circular‑economy mandates.

Product Samples We Regularly Subject to Degradation Service Technology

The respirometric reactors, the compost simulation vessels, the xenon‑arc and fluorescent‑UV weathering chambers, the salt‑spray cabinets, the thermogravimetric analysers and the gel‑permeation‑chromatography systems in our facility accommodate an extraordinarily diverse range of materials and finished articles. The following categories represent the most frequently tested items:

Biodegradable and compostable plastics – polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polybutylene succinate, starch‑based blends, cellulose‑based films and the finished carrier bags, food‑service ware and agricultural mulch films
Conventional and oxo‑degradable polymers – polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene films, bottles and rigid containers, evaluated for the fragmentation behaviour and the persistence in the marine and the terrestrial environments
Textiles, nonwovens and apparel – natural and synthetic fibres, coated fabrics, disposable hygiene products and geotextiles, assessed for the biodegradation in the soil, the compost and the landfill conditions
Coatings, paints and surface finishes – the decorative and the protective coatings on the metal, the plastic and the wood substrates, evaluated for the chalking, the cracking and the loss of the adhesion under the accelerated weathering
Packaging and single‑use articles – paper and board, flexible and rigid plastic packaging, compostable coffee capsules, cutlery and straws that must meet the EN 13432 or the ASTM D6400 compostability standards
Medical devices and pharmaceutical products – bioresorbable sutures, drug‑eluting stents, controlled‑release formulations and the implantable scaffolds, characterised for the in‑vitro and the accelerated hydrolytic degradation kinetics
Automotive, aerospace and electronic components – the polymers, the adhesives and the sealants that are exposed to the combined thermal, oxidative and photolytic stresses during their service life
Cosmetics, personal‑care and household products – the rinse‑off and the leave‑on formulations that contain the microplastics or the polymeric ingredients, tested for the biodegradability in the freshwater, the marine and the wastewater‑treatment‑plant environments

Biodegradation and Compostability – Degradation Service Technology According to OECD 301, ASTM D6400, EN 13432 and ISO 14855

Ultimate aerobic biodegradation in the aqueous medium by the closed‑respirometer method according to OECD TG 301F (Manometric Respirometry Test) and ISO 14851 (Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium – Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer): the test material is dispersed in a mineral‑salts medium containing a mixed microbial inoculum derived from the activated sludge or the compost, and the biochemical oxygen demand is continuously recorded. The percentage of the theoretical oxygen demand that is consumed over the 28‑day or the 60‑day test period is reported, and the material is classified as “readily biodegradable” if it reaches the pass level of 60 % ThOD within the 10‑day window after the onset of the degradation. This degradation service technology provides the fundamental biodegradability screening data that are required for the REACH registration and the OECD harmonised classification of the chemical substances.
Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability and the disintegration under the controlled composting conditions according to ISO 14855‑1 (Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions – Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide) and ASTM D5338 (Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials Under Controlled Composting Conditions, Incorporating Thermophilic Temperatures): the test material is mixed with a mature, well‑characterised compost inoculum and incubated at 58 °C in a dark, continuously aerated reactor. The carbon dioxide that is evolved from the microbial metabolism of the test material is trapped and quantified, and the percentage of the solid organic carbon that is converted to the CO₂ is calculated relative to a positive‑control reference material (the micro‑crystalline cellulose). The test is continued until the plateau of the biodegradation is reached, typically for 45 to 180 days, and the disintegration – the fragmentation and the physical disappearance of the test material from the compost matrix – is assessed by the sieving after the test. A material is certified as compostable according to the EN 13432, the ASTM D6400 or the ISO 17088 if it achieves at least 90 % biodegradation relative to the cellulose within 180 days, and if the compost that is produced from the test meets the ecotoxicity and the chemical‑quality criteria.
Home‑compost and the ambient‑temperature biodegradation testing according to the prEN 17427 (Home and commercial composting of carrier bags and other articles – Requirements and test methods) and the AS 5810 (Biodegradable plastics – Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting): the test is conducted at 25 °C ± 5 °C using a compost inoculum that represents the less‑thermophilic, domestic‑compost environment, and the biodegradation and the disintegration are evaluated over a period of up to 12 months, providing the data that the manufacturer needs to label the product as “suitable for home composting”.
Marine and the freshwater aerobic biodegradation testing according to the ASTM D6691 (Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by a Defined Microbial Consortium or Natural Sea Water Inoculum) and the ISO 18830 (Determination of aerobic biodegradation of non‑floating plastic materials in a seawater/sediment interface): the test material is incubated in the natural or the synthetic seawater or the freshwater with the indigenous microbial population at 30 °C, and the biodegradation is monitored by the respirometry or the CO₂‑evolution method. The data are used to assess the persistence of the plastic in the oceans, the lakes and the rivers, and to support the eco‑label claims and the regulatory compliance with the EU Single‑Use Plastics Directive.
Soil‑biodegradation and the anaerobic‑biodegradation testing under the landfill‑simulating conditions according to the ISO 17556 (Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in soil by measuring the oxygen demand or the evolved carbon dioxide) and the ASTM D5511 (Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials Under High‑Solids Anaerobic‑Digestion Conditions): the test material is mixed with the natural soil or the anaerobic‑digester sludge, and the biodegradation is measured over the months to the years, providing the data that the environmental‑fate modeller uses to predict the persistence and the accumulation of the polymer in the terrestrial and the waste‑disposal environments.

Photodegradation and Accelerated Weathering – Degradation Service Technology According to ISO 4892, ASTM G154 and ASTM G155

Accelerated photodegradation and the weathering‑resistance testing by the xenon‑arc lamp exposure according to ISO 4892‑2 (Plastics – Methods of exposure to laboratory light sources – Part 2: Xenon‑arc lamps) and ASTM G155 (Standard Practice for Operating Xenon Arc Light Apparatus for Exposure of Non‑Metallic Materials): the test specimens are mounted in a rotating rack inside a xenon‑arc chamber that is equipped with the daylight‑simulating optical filters, and they are exposed to a controlled irradiance, temperature and relative‑humidity cycle that includes a water‑spray or a condensation period. The degradation is monitored by the measurement of the colour change (the yellowness index and the ΔE*), the loss of the gloss, the surface cracking, the tensile‑strength retention and the carbonyl‑index increase by the Fourier‑transform infrared spectroscopy. This degradation service technology predicts the outdoor service life of the polymer, the coating and the textile under the solar radiation, and it is the mandatory qualification test for the automotive‑exterior, the building‑façade and the agricultural‑film applications.
Fluorescent‑UV and the condensation‑exposure testing according to ASTM G154 (Standard Practice for Operating Fluorescent Ultraviolet Lamp Apparatus for Exposure of Non‑Metallic Materials) and ISO 4892‑3: the specimen is exposed to the UV‑A‑340 or the UV‑B‑313 fluorescent lamps at a controlled temperature and a condensation‑cycle, providing the rapid, cost‑effective screening of the photo‑oxidative degradation that is particularly useful for the comparison of the different stabiliser packages and the pigment formulations.
Outdoor‑exposure and the natural‑weathering correlation with the accelerated laboratory tests: the identical specimens are exposed on the outdoor racks at the benchmark subtropical (Florida), the desert (Arizona) and the temperate (Central European) sites, and the degradation is monitored over the months and the years, providing the direct correlation between the laboratory‑accelerated and the real‑world performance that the manufacturer uses to set the warranty period and to validate the accelerated‑test protocol.
Photo‑oxidation and the radical‑formation analysis by the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy: the specimen is irradiated inside the EPR cavity, and the concentration of the free radicals that are generated during the photo‑initiation step of the degradation is measured, providing the mechanistic understanding of the stabiliser‑action and the polymer‑degradation pathway.

Thermal and Thermo‑Oxidative Degradation – Degradation Service Technology Using TGA, DSC and OIT Methods

Determination of the thermal‑degradation temperature and the mass‑loss profile by the thermogravimetric analysis according to ASTM E2550 (Standard Test Method for Thermal Stability by Thermogravimetry) and ISO 11358 (Plastics – Thermogravimetry of polymers): the sample is heated from the ambient temperature to 900 °C in a nitrogen or an air atmosphere at a controlled rate, and the mass‑loss curve and the derivative‑mass‑loss curve are recorded. The onset temperature of the decomposition, the temperature at the maximum rate of the mass loss, and the residual mass at the defined temperatures are reported, providing the fundamental thermal‑stability data that the compounder uses to specify the processing‑temperature window and to assess the flammability and the char‑formation behaviour. This degradation service technology is indispensable for the quality control of the engineering plastics, the elastomers and the composite materials.
Oxidative‑induction time and the oxidation‑onset temperature by the differential scanning calorimetry according to ASTM D3895 (Standard Test Method for Oxidative‑Induction Time of Polyolefins by Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and ISO 11357‑6: the specimen is heated to 200 °C under the nitrogen, and the atmosphere is switched to the oxygen, and the time to the onset of the exothermic oxidation reaction is recorded, or the specimen is heated in the oxygen atmosphere, and the temperature at which the oxidation exotherm appears is reported, providing the rapid, sensitive measure of the antioxidant‑package effectiveness and the remaining stabiliser content that predicts the long‑term thermo‑oxidative service life of the polyolefin pipe, the cable jacket and the geomembrane.
Long‑term thermal‑ageing and the Arrhenius life‑prediction according to ISO 2578 (Plastics – Determination of the time–temperature limits after prolonged exposure to heat) and ASTM D3045 (Standard Practice for Heat Aging of Plastics Without Load): the specimens are aged in the forced‑air ovens at the several elevated temperatures, and the tensile strength, the elongation and the impact resistance are measured at the intervals. The time to reach the 50 % loss of the property is plotted against the reciprocal of the absolute temperature, and the Arrhenius activation energy and the predicted service life at the use temperature are reported, providing the quantitative, engineering‑design data that the polymer‑product manufacturer uses to guarantee the performance over the 20‑, 30‑ or the 50‑year design life.
Melt‑flow‑rate and the molecular‑weight‑distribution analysis by the gel‑permeation chromatography for the assessment of the chain‑scission and the cross‑linking during the thermal and the thermo‑oxidative degradation: the melt‑flow rate and the weight‑average molecular weight are measured before and after the ageing, and the shift to the higher melt‑flow rate and the lower molecular weight indicates the chain‑scission‑dominated degradation, while the shift to the lower melt‑flow rate and the broadening of the molecular‑weight distribution indicates the cross‑linking, providing the mechanistic data that guide the reformulation of the polymer and the additive package.

Hydrolytic, Chemical and Combined‑Stress Degradation – Degradation Service Technology for the Service‑Environment Simulation

Hydrolytic‑degradation and the water‑absorption‑kinetics testing according to ISO 62 (Plastics – Determination of water absorption) and ASTM D570: the specimen is immersed in the distilled water, the saline solution or the buffer at the controlled temperature, and the mass‑gain and the dimensional‑change are measured as a function of the immersion time, providing the water‑diffusion‑coefficient and the equilibrium‑water‑content that are the input parameters for the hydrolytic‑degradation model. The test is performed at the several temperatures to accelerate the hydrolysis, and the retained tensile strength, the molecular weight and the glass‑transition temperature are measured, providing the data that the medical‑device designer uses to predict the in‑vivo degradation rate of the bioresorbable implant.
Chemical‑resistance and the stress‑cracking‑resistance testing under the simultaneous chemical exposure and the mechanical load according to ISO 175 (Plastics – Methods of test for the determination of the effects of immersion in liquid chemicals) and ASTM D543: the specimen is immersed in the aggressive chemical medium – the acid, the alkali, the hydrocarbon, the detergent or the disinfectant – and the change in the mass, the dimensions and the mechanical properties is measured, providing the compatibility data that the engineer uses to select the correct polymer for the chemical‑storage‑tank, the pipe and the seal. For the environmental‑stress‑cracking evaluation, the specimen is subjected to a constant tensile or the bending strain while being immersed, and the time to the first crack or the fracture is recorded, identifying the chemical–polymer combinations that are susceptible to the catastrophic brittle failure.
Combined‑stress degradation testing – the simultaneous application of the thermal, the hydrolytic, the photolytic and the mechanical stresses according to the internal protocols and the OEM specifications: the test specimen is placed in a chamber that integrates the xenon‑arc radiation, the water spray, the elevated temperature and the cyclic mechanical loading, and the degradation of the mechanical, the optical and the chemical properties is monitored, reproducing the real‑world service environment of the automotive exterior trim, the outdoor furniture, the photovoltaic‑module backsheet and the marine coating. This degradation service technology provides the most realistic, application‑relevant durability data that the design‑engineer uses to select the materials and to validate the finite‑element‑based lifetime‑prediction models.
In‑vitro and the accelerated‑physiological‑fluid degradation testing for the medical‑device and the drug‑delivery applications according to the ISO 10993‑13 (Biological evaluation of medical devices – Part 13: Identification and quantification of degradation products from polymeric medical devices) and the ASTM F1635 (Standard Test Method for in‑vitro Degradation Testing of Hydrolytically Degradable Polymer Resins and Fabricated Forms for Surgical Implants): the specimen is immersed in the phosphate‑buffered saline, the simulated body fluid or the enzyme‑containing medium at 37 °C, and the mass‑loss, the molecular‑weight‑reduction and the mechanical‑property‑decay are monitored over the weeks to the months, providing the degradation‑profile that is correlated with the in‑vivo performance and that is used to design the bioresorbable suture, the drug‑eluting stent and the tissue‑engineering scaffold.

Report Acceptance and Global Regulatory Compliance

All measurements performed within our degradation service technology programme are executed under the fully accredited scope of our ISO/IEC 17025 quality management system. Each test report that carries the ILAC mark is therefore automatically recognised by regulatory authorities, notified bodies, customs offices and supply‑chain partners in all major economies. For polymer producers, packaging converters, textile manufacturers, medical‑device developers and consumer‑goods brands anywhere in the world, the report constitutes legally robust, internationally accepted evidence that the biodegradation rate, the compostability, the photodegradation, the thermal and the hydrolytic stability, and the combined‑stress durability of the material or the product have been determined in accordance with the applicable OECD, ISO, ASTM, EN and customer‑specified methods. The documentation can be directly used to support the CE marking under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive or the Medical Device Regulation, the compostability‑logo certification, the REACH registration, the FDA 510(k) clearance, the issue of inspection certificates according to EN 10204 or equivalent national standards, and the resolution of commercial and technical disputes concerning the degradation behaviour and the environmental impact of any material or product.