Innoform Testservice GmbH successfully participated in the interlaboratory test for determining the water content in plastics according to ISO 15512, receiving an overall rating of “excellent performance”. This result underlines the high quality and precision of our laboratory work and the commitment of our team to achieving reliable and traceable test results.
Why determining water content is so important
The water content plays a decisive role in plastics technology, especially in hygroscopic materials such as polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), PET, but also in all types of recycled materials. Even slight deviations in moisture content can significantly affect the processability, mechanical properties and even the long-term stability of a plastic.
Therefore, in practice, the precise determination of water content is of central importance for both raw material manufacturers and processors and users. It serves as a quality control measure in incoming material inspections, process monitoring and damage analysis.
The ISO 15512 standard – precision in moisture analysis
The ISO 15512 standard describes various methods for determining the water content in plastics. Depending on the material and accuracy requirements, gravimetric or chemical methods are used – for example, Karl Fischer titration or drying methods.
The aim is to accurately quantify the actual content of bound and free water in the material. These results form the basis for reliable quality decisions along the entire value chain.
Interlaboratory test as quality assurance
Interlaboratory tests serve as external quality assurance and enable laboratories to evaluate their measurement competence in comparison with other institutions. Through its successful participation and the rating ‘excellent performance’, Innoform once again confirms the high reproducibility and accuracy of its measurement results.
Outlook: Acceptance as an accredited examination
Due to successful participation and thorough internal validation, the inclusion of water content determination in accordance with ISO 15512 in Innoform’ s accredited testing area is planned for the coming cycle. This means that this method will be officially offered and documented within the scope of our DAkkS accreditation in future.
This expansion strengthens our testing portfolio and underlines our commitment to offering our customers precise, standard-compliant and accredited testing procedures from a single source.
Conclusion:
Determining water content is a key component of quality assurance for plastics. The excellent performance in the interlaboratory test shows that Innoform also meets the highest standards in this demanding test area – and will further consolidate these in future with accreditation.
Author: Dr Daniel Wachtendorf, Innoform GmbH, August 2025
