DFWerke
Testing Materials. Ensuring Quality.
understanding the atomic
“research is to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody has thought”
-Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 1937
DFWerke
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) provides essential data on how materials respond to stress, strain, and temperature variations. DFWerke leverages advanced DMA techniques using Parallel Plate, Tension, Compression, Cantilever, and Three-Point Bending configurations to assess:
Material Characterization: Quantify stiffness, elasticity, and viscoelastic behavior—understanding how materials store and dissipate energy in polymers, composites, and gels.
Thermal Transitions: Detect glass transition temperature (Tg), softening points, and phase changes crucial for polymers, battery separators, and medical device components.
Mechanical Memory and Recovery: Assess stress relaxation, creep behavior, and mechanical memory to ensure stability in adhesives, elastomers, and biomedical materials.
Failure Analysis: Identify weak points in structural materials through fatigue testing, damping analysis, and fracture toughness assessment.
Product Development: Optimize formulations for targeted mechanical properties, from flexible coatings and damping layers to rigid structural components.
Process Optimization: Validate processing parameters by analyzing material response to frequency and temperature changes, simulating real-world mechanical stress.
Our comprehensive DMA capabilities support industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to medical devices and electronics, delivering precise, actionable insights to enhance material performance and reliability.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA): Measure Stiffness, Elasticity, and Viscoelastic Behavior—How Materials Store and Lose Energy—Across Polymers, Gels, Composites, and Adhesives. Detect Phase Transitions in Battery Separators, Evaluate Mechanical Stability in Medical Devices, and Assess Impact Resistance and Energy Dissipation in Coatings and Structural Components Under Real-World Stress and Temperature Conditions.
A biomedical device manufacturer engaged DFWerke to assess the complex modulus of injection-molded polymer components intended for use in saline and phosphate-buffered solutions. DMA testing using Parallel Plate and Tension configurations measured storage modulus (G”) and loss modulus (G”) across a range of frequencies and temperatures, revealing significant viscoelastic shifts in high-salt environments. The analysis identified a reduction in modulus of up to 25% in saline solutions, indicating potential softening and compromised structural integrity. Recommendations included material formulation adjustments to enhance crosslink density and mechanical stability under prolonged exposure to physiological conditions.
A major EV battery manufacturer engaged DFWerke to assess the mechanical integrity and thermal stability of separator paper used in lithium-ion batteries. Using Tension and Cantilever configurations, DMA testing quantified storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping factor from -20°C to 150°C, revealing a significant drop in modulus above 120°C and reduced elastic recovery after thermal cycling. Complementary thermal expansion studies identified dimensional instability at elevated temperatures, leading to recommendations for adjusting the separator composition to increase crosslink density and thermal stability, resulting in improved mechanical memory and reduced deformation risk