Suppliers of raw materials and manufacturers of finished goods work diligently toward assuring the safety and functionality of their products. Despite best efforts, contamination may arise during processing, storage, shipping, use, or other parts of the product life-cycle.
In the context of this technical article, “contamination” refers either to a chemical component of a product that is present in an unintended location or an unintended chemical present anywhere within the product. Several analytical methods that are well-suited to the evaluation of contamination in or on rubber and plastic materials are described.
Examples of analysis on specific products are presented to demonstrate utility of the analytical methods. This information will be useful to the technologist who must perform a contamination analysis or must understand and rely on third-party testing.