ASTM B117 Salt (Fog)
Automotive materials fail under load, heat, vibration, and corrosion, and a single field return can jeopardize an entire production run. MatX Lab tests metals, polymers, coatings, and battery materials to find root cause and verify spec.
The failure of automotive materials can be caused by factors such as load, heat, vibration, and corrosion, resulting in a single-field return that could pose unforeseen problems in the production process. To qualify a supplier, close your warranty investigation, or confirm the material meets OEM-specific specifications, MatX Lab characterizes automotive metals, automotive polymers, coatings, and battery materials. The research investigates the determinants of automotive quality, such as the reasons for a component's failure, whether it meets spec, and whether the subsequent batches will meet those standards.
In automotive testing, the main emphasis is on conducting field-return investigations and ensuring that suppliers are fully qualified before use. Common questions include why a component cracked, corroded, or degraded, whether the material meets its specification, and how it is likely to perform throughout the vehicle's service life.
Automotive investigations often require a combination of mechanical, corrosion, and polymer testing methods. We determine the right testing approach for your project and deliver a single, comprehensive report that your quality and supplier teams can rely on.
| Method | What It Answers | Typical Samples |
| Failure Analysis | Root cause of returns and warranty failures | Failed parts, field returns |
| Mechanical Testing | Tensile, fatigue, hardness | Metals, welds, fasteners |
| Corrosion & Environmental Testing | Corrosion and coating durability | Coated and plated parts |
| Thermal Analysis | Polymer stability, transitions, filler content | Plastics, elastomers, seals |
| Spectroscopy | Polymer and contaminant identification | Plastics, residues, fluids |
Automotive assemblies combine metals, polymers, elastomers, coatings, and increasingly battery materials, each with its own failure modes.
Metals & Alloys · Plastics · Elastomers & Rubber · Thin Films & Coatings · Battery Materials · Adhesives & Sealants.
Automotive testing is often driven by OEM specifications alongside published standards. Where an applicable standard exists, testing is aligned to it and cited in your report. Where your customer names an OEM material specification, we align the work to the referenced method and document both.
| Analysis / Standard | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Corrosion and Humidity | Corrosion Testing |
| VDA 230-219 | Corrosion Testing |
| Accelerated Corrosion | Corrosion Testing |
| Igo | Intergranular Oxidation |
| COF | Coefficient of Friction |
| EN 16094 Martindale Micro-Scratch | Tribology, Wear & Friction |
| Solar Climatic | Optical & Emittance Spectroscopy |
| ASTM D696 | Linear Thermal Expansion of Plastics |
| ASTM D5026 | Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Plastic in Tension |
| ASTM D5023 | Dynamic Mechanical Testing of Plastics |
| ASTM D648 | Plastic Deflection Temperature |
| ASTM D5208 | Standard Procedure for Exposure of Photodegradable Plastics |
| ASTM D1525 | Vicat Softening Point of Plastics |
| UL 94 | Standard Flammability Test for Plastic Materials Used in Devices |
| ASTM D6370 | Compositional Analysis of Rubber by Thermogravimetry (TGA) |
Indeed, it is among our most frequent vehicle projects. We start with non-destructive documentation and proceed through fractography, microstructure, and composition to reach a root-cause conclusion supported by the data. If you have a known-good part, send it along with the failed part unaltered; comparison frequently expedites the investigation.
Yes, our analysis examines various factors, including the composition, contamination levels, and consistency of electrode materials, as well as the coatings and components used within the cells.
Yes. The OEM specification should be identified during the quotation stage. If it refers to a testing method that we can perform, we will follow that method and include references to both the OEM specification and the test method within the final report.
MatX Lab routes each method to the accredited partner laboratory best suited to it, so one project can cover metals, polymers, coatings, and battery materials without five separate vendors. You get one contact and one report. Methods are aligned to ASTM, ISO, IEC, UL, and MIL-STD, and to the OEM specification where you require it. We are an analysis provider, not a standards body, and issue no certifications. Every engagement can sit under an NDA.
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