Analysis of Ocean Plastics
Figure 1. Laptop packaging indicating 25% ocean plastic content. A New Year often equates to…
Melissa L. Kurtz, M.S.February 6, 2024
CPVC Pipe Failures in Building Plumbing Systems – Costly Consequences
Introduction In the construction industry, chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC) is commonly used for delivering hot…
Paul Gramann, PhD, PEJanuary 23, 2024
Analysis of Everyday Objects That Fail Us – Cellphone Holder
There is nothing more frustrating to a polymer expert than when the failure of a…
Melissa L. Kurtz, M.S.January 20, 2024
Cross Sectioning as an Analysis Tool
Cross-sectioning is a crucial resource in an engineer’s toolbox. An engineer cannot evaluate what they…
The Madison GroupJanuary 2, 2024
Characterization of the Structure and Properties of PPE+HIPS
Poly(phenylene ether) and High Impact Polystyrene (PPE+HIPS) blends offer a remarkably adaptable plastic solution. By…
Jeffrey A. JansenDecember 28, 2023
Fractography – A Key Component of a Failure Analysis
Cracking - the partial fracture of a solid material - occurs as a result of…
Jeffrey A. JansenDecember 28, 2023
The Power of Modulated DSC (MDSC) – Part 1
We begin this article series with an exploration of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), followed by…
Jack DeSousa, B.SOctober 27, 2023
Shipping-Related Product Failures
Figure 1. Products stacked on pallets during shipment and storage. Recently, The Madison Group has…
The Madison GroupOctober 12, 2023
The Importance of Material Characterization for Simulation Applications
Problem: For an injection molding application, a PC/PBT resin was chosen. However, as this specific…
The Madison GroupOctober 12, 2023
The Benefits of a Non-Destructive Visual Analysis: A Case Study Part 2
There are many benefits to performing a non-destructive, visual analysis prior to destructively testing a…
Jack DeSousa, B.SOctober 12, 2023