The plastics industry responds to challenges such as safety and environmental sustainability in different ways, such as through laboratory analysis and testing. Advanced material characterization techniques make it possible to perform a number of different activities, including certifications of recycled content and recyclability; certifications of reuse, biodegradability and compostability; characterization of microplastics; food safety and quality control of packaging; performance under the effects of external agents; and automotive quality control.
To address the latest developments and trends in this field, AIMPLAS holds an annual conference on the quality control of plastic materials. This year, the conference format and name have been changed to the International Seminar on Plastic Characterization, CHARPLAST, and the first edition will be held on 28-29 September. With the sponsorship of DAS NANO, PERKIN ELMER, ZWICK/ROELL, MOCON/AMETEC, CONTROL TÉCNICA, FRONTIER LAB and POLYMER CHAR, the event will provide an opportunity for more than thirty professionals working in different sectors of the plastics industry, academia, the public administration and reference laboratories to share advanced knowledge that helps them make decisions on developing products and growing their business.
The seminar content is organized in six different thematic sessions and four joint sessions. The first joint session will address trends in advanced characterization techniques. The topic of the next session is how different regulatory requirements have led to the emergence of a number of certifications on recycled content and product recyclability that provide proof that these products have a lower environmental impact than products made with virgin plastic. In the third session, certifications related to the circular economy will be discussed, such as those that attest to the reuse, biodegradability and compostability of plastic products. The last of the four joint sessions will provide an objective overview of the microplastics problem and present existing and emerging techniques for detecting and eliminating them.
Specific parallel sessions
On the second day, after the fourth joint session, four sessions will be held simultaneously in two different rooms. These sessions will address topics such as food safety and food contact materials, the behaviour and durability of plastic materials under the effects of external agents, and the importance of characterization in quality control in very different sectors, including packaging and the automotive industry.