Company Overview
Polymer Char presents an extensive and modern range of instruments and services tailored for the structural characterization of polyolefins. Some of the technologies in the instrumentation portfolio include Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC/SEC), Chemical Composition Distribution, Bivariate Distribution, High-Temperature HPLC, Soluble Fraction determination, Quality Control, Intrinsic Viscosity measurement, Preparative Fractionation, and Infrared Detection.
Renowned for its pioneering approach to Virtual Instrumentation Software Architecture (VISA), Polymer Char leads in instrumentation diagnostics and technical support. This advanced software, coupled with robust remote control capabilities and an unwavering commitment to customer success, positions the company at the forefront of the industry.
In collaboration with a worldwide network of partners and distributors, Polymer Char delivers, educates, and assists clients across the globe. The company offers analytical services to over 35 countries, and has instruments installed across more than 25 nations in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. The industries the company serves are mainly Polymer Producers and Processors, Government and Contract Research Laboratories, as well as Universities engaged in polymer research.
Over the past three decades, Polymer Char has played a pivotal role in advancing the majority of existing polyolefin characterization technologies, including, such as CRYSTAF, CRYSTEX, CEF, automated CFC, and TREF, GPC with IR detection, and automation of high-temperature Intrinsic Viscosity. Each new project, each new analysis, bolsters Polymer Char’s reputuation as the expert in Polyolefin Characterization.
In the realm of polyolefin analysis, Polymer Char offers an unwavering commitment to technical excellence, proficiency, and overall customer satisfaction. Our high-quality solutions and Exceptional Customer Care philosophy underscore our dedication to advancing the field. Today, Polymer Char’s contribution to the community is expanding even further and becoming more significant. The company’s progress in instruments and technology is playing a key role in advancing the production and study of sustainable materials, and ease of plastic recycling.
Dr. Benjamin Monrabal, was born in 1946 in Valencia, Spain. He received a Chemical Engineering degree from the Instituto Químico de Sarriá in Barcelona; and a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, U.S.A.
From 1970 until 1992 Dr. Monrabal worked at The Dow Chemical Company, where he was appointed at the Scientist level for his technical contributions to the polyolefin LDPE and LLDPE processes. While he was the manager of a central lab at Dow in The Netherlands he invented and patented the CRYSTAF analytical technique, which was a breakthrough in the optimization and development of LLDPE resins.
In 1992, Dr. Monrabal founded Polymer Char with the mission of developing a commercial and fully automated CRYSTAF instrument. Most significant at that time was building a new company into a framework centered around innovation and customer satisfaction. To this day, the involvement of talented and responsible employees who identify with the company’s values is one of the major contributors to Polymer Char’s success.
During his career, and complementary to his work as General Manager and R&D Director of Polymer Char, Dr. Monrabal has contributed to the development of various polyolefin characterization techniques. He is the inventor of the CEF technique – now a patented and standard tool in the PO industry – and has led a comprehensive new approach in the analysis of polyolefins by high-temperature GPC. He has also contributed to the understanding of the new Interaction Chromatography techniques.
Dr. Monrabal has authored many publications on Polyolefin Characterization, and is in close collaboration with various Universities, Research Institutes, and leading Polymer companies in the development of new methodologies for extensive characterization of Polyolefins. He has been a member of the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization, and Journal of Liquid Chromatography. Currently, he is a member of the ICPC (International Conference on Polyolefins Characterization) scientific committee.
The establishment of Polymer Char centered around fully developing a commercial instrument to perform the CRYSTAF technique, from the presentation of a prototype at a tradeshow to selling the first unit to a South Korean company.
After the launch of CRYSTAF, a commercially automated TREF followed and other technologies started being developed as the result of close collaboration with petrochemical leaders in the industry.
After continuously providing consulting and services worldwide, Polymer Char consolidates its Laboratory Analytical Services business unit for plastic testing and analysis. The technology of the CEF technique is patented.
The ICPC Conference is founded and the first edition held with widespread acceptance. Two ground-breaking techniques in the field of GPC for polyolefins are launched setting a new standard for high-temperature analysis in the industry. The corporate brand is elevated with a brand new building for headquarters and an image revamp.
The company's highest R&D peak up to date takes place as seven different instruments are developed and introduced to the market within this timeframe, including a full line of QC instruments.
As the product portfolio comes full circle with the launch of a line of accessories for the laboratory, the company is now venturing into new markets with R&D dedicated to other detection systems and techniques capable of expanding its range of analysis to more plastics other than polyolefins.
In the last years, Polymer Char has been expanding its analytical capabilities beyond Polyolefins to cover a broader range of plastics, with a particular focus on recyclates. In 2023, the company launched Polymer Analytical, a new R&D and Analytical Services Center dedicated to providing more specialized studies and services. Later that same year, the company launched IVA Versa, a modern alternative to replace the traditional glass capillary method for the measurement of Intrinsic Viscosity in a wide array of polymers. Polymer Char continues to make significant advancements to its technologies demonstrating its commitment to its customers and innovation policy.
This site uses cookies to give you a better browsing experience. If you continue
browsing this site we understand that you accept our use of cookies.
For more information,
please visit our Cookies Policy. You can configure which
cookies you accept by ticking the next options: