MatX Lab uses infrared, Raman, and complementary methods to identify unknown materials, deformulate products, and characterize organic contamination. The work turns a spectrum into an answer: what this material is and what is in it.
When you want to know what a material is, not just what elements it contains, spectroscopy reads its molecular fingerprint. With the help of this, it identifies polymers and organics, reconstructs formulations, and pins down contaminants that elemental analysis alone cannot name. MatX Lab uses infrared, Raman, and complementary methods to identify unknown materials, deformulate products, and characterize organic contamination. The work turns a spectrum into an answer: what this material is and what is in it.
Through spectroscopy, how a material interacts with light and other radiation reveals its molecular structure and identity. Infrared and Raman methods produce a molecular fingerprint that identifies polymers, organics, and many inorganics. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy measures absorbance for concentration and color, nuclear magnetic resonance resolves molecular structure in detail, and chromatography-mass spectrometry separates and identifies individual compounds in a mixture.
Spectroscopy work depends on the material and whether you need identity, structure, or a full mixture breakdown, and we scope the right method. Each technique below links to its own page.
Identifies organic and polymer materials by their molecular fingerprint. It is the workhorse for resin identification, deformulation, and contamination.
Provides complementary molecular fingerprinting, strong for inorganics, carbon materials, and mapping, with little or no sample preparation.
Measures absorbance for concentration, color, and optical properties of solutions, films, and coatings.
Resolves the molecular structure and composition of organics and polymers in detail, valuable for deformulation and structure confirmation.
Separates and identifies volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, for additives, residues, outgassing, and unknown mixtures.
Maps and identifies tiny samples and individual contaminant particles under a microscope, down to microscopic inclusions.
Spectroscopy is the right method whenever molecular identity or formulation is the question.
Spectroscopy applies wherever polymers, organics, and molecular identity matter.
Materials: Plastics · Elastomers & Rubber · Adhesives & Sealants · Composites · Thin Films & Coatings · Battery Materials
Industries: Polymers · Automotive · Electronics · Medical Devices · Manufacturing · Advanced Materials
Spectroscopy is governed by ASTM molecular-spectroscopy methods, and your specification may name them. Where an applicable standard exists, testing is aligned to it and cited in your report. We align to the method your specification requires and document it.
| Analysis / Standard | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Micro-Raman Spectroscopy | FTIR & Raman Spectroscopy |
| Micro-FTIR | Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy |
| SAE J2020 | UV-Vis & Molecular Spectroscopy |
| Pyrolysis - Gas Chromatography | Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry |
| Fluorescent Microthermal Imaging | UV-Vis & Molecular Spectroscopy |
| Spectrophotometry | UV-Vis & Molecular Spectroscopy |
| Pyro-GC-MS | Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry |
| ASTM F1188 | Interstitial Oxygen in Single-Crystal Silicon by Infrared Absorption (FTIR) |
| ASTM E2911 | Relative Intensity Correction of Raman Spectrometers |
| ASTM E2529 | Raman Spectrometer Spectral Resolution Testing |
| ASTM D6387 | Capillary Gas Chromatography |
| ASTM E806 | Carbon Tetrachloride and Chloroform in Liquid Chlorine by Direct |
| ASTM E578 | Linearity of Fluorescence Measuring Systems |
| ASTM E475 | Method for Assay of Di-Tert-Butyl Peroxide using Gas Chromatography |
| ASTM E388 | Wavelength Accuracy and Spectral Bandwidth of Fluorescence Spectrometers |
Yes. FTIR and Raman identify organic and polymer materials by their molecular fingerprint, and infrared microscopy identifies microscopic contaminants and inclusions. For complex mixtures, GC-MS separates and identifies individual compounds. Identification is one of our most common spectroscopy requests.
Yes. Combining spectroscopy with thermal and elemental analysis reconstructs much of a formulation, including base polymer, additives, and fillers. This supports matching a competitor's product, replacing a discontinued material, or verifying a supplier.
These two techniques complement each other. FTIR technique works very well with polymers and organic functional groups, while Raman technique excels in inorganic substances, carbon-based materials, and mapping. We use them together whenever either technique alone fails to reveal identity.
MatX Lab successfully completes your spectroscopy work through a network of accredited partner laboratories, so FTIR, Raman, and all complementary methods run as one program. All the work will be with one contact and receive one report. Methods are aligned to ASTM, ISO, IEC, UL, and MIL-STD where a published method applies. MatX Lab is an analysis provider, not a standards body, and issues no certifications. Every engagement can sit under an NDA.
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