Characterisation, testing and qualification of polymer materials and sealing components for high-pressure, high-temperature and chemically aggressive service.
The laboratory covers elastomers, thermoplastics and composites — from raw materials and semi-finished billets to finished seals and engineered components.
The methods include thermal analysis, evolved gas analysis, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mechanical testing, optical metrology and controlled aging. Results are interpreted together to establish composition, processing history, performance limits and degradation mechanisms.
Laboratory work supports quality control of incoming materials, development and qualification of new compounds, reliability assessments, root-cause analysis of failed components, and numerical simulation of seal behaviour. Each new material is documented with a material passport including FEA material models.
The laboratory serves Norwegian Seals' own manufacturing and engineering functions, and provides independent testing and technical consultancy to clients in the traditional oil and gas, renewable energy, chemical processing, and high-technology industries.
We develop new elastomer and thermoplastic compounds tailored to specific industry applications, taking each material from formulation concept through processing trials and property verifications to qualification against the relevant industry standards.
We assess material performance under representative operating conditions through structured testing, robustness studies and service-life estimation. The results help identify failure risks, understand degradation and evaluate whether materials are suited to demanding applications.
We verify materials and finished products against applicable industry standards, regulatory requirements and customer specifications. Checks include conformance analyses, inspection certificates and shelf-life evaluations for incoming materials and finished parts, supporting consistent production decisions.
We use numerical modelling to predict material and component behavior, supporting design optimization, verification and validation. Analyses can incorporate nonlinear responses and temperature- and pressure-dependent material properties to inform engineering decisions across demanding operating conditions.
We provide focused technical guidance and custom testing shaped around a specific customer question. Support can include material assessment, failure diagnosis and interpretation of test results, helping teams evaluate practical options with relevant evidence.
We support collaborative development through joint industry projects and research and innovation programs. The laboratory contributes material expertise, testing and qualification to help assess new technologies and develop sealing solutions for emerging technical requirements.
We provide the full lifecycle of scientific and technical consultations, addressing the most demanding challenges in material selection, material analysis and testing, compatibility assessments and component design. Services span design engineering, reliability studies and failure diagnosis, each supported by documented laboratory evidence.
We identify emerging market needs, scout technologies relevant to sealing applications and translate future trends such as hydrogen service, carbon capture and storage, and PFAS-free fluoroelastomer chemistry into engineered solutions. We participate in joint industry projects and nationally funded research programmes.
We develop best-in-class materials and emerging products for the Norwegian Seals portfolio. The 2026–28 roadmap covers FKM, FFKM, FEPM, HNBR, EPDM and TPU grades, each documented with a material passport and qualified to standards including NORSOK M-710, ISO 23936-2 and API 6A.
Material experts responsible for laboratory operations, test programs, and technical reporting.
Materials Expert R&D Laboratory Lead
25 years in Polymer Science 12 years in Energy Industry 12 years in Sealing Technology
Paweł brings expertise in polymer and nonmetallic materials science across industry and academia. He has held responsibility for research and development, project management, quality assurance, procurement, and technical sales, and has managed laboratory operations.
Senior Polymer Engineer Laboratory Specialist
15 years in Polymer Science 10 years in Energy Industry 10 years in Sealing Technology
Monika has gained experience in polymer science across industry and academia. Her background covers research and development, quality assurance, project management, and extensive laboratory operational excellence, method development, and documentation handling.
Thermal analysis
TA Instruments Discovery DSC 2500
A premium research-grade calorimeter that utilizes advanced Tzero technology and standard Modulated DSC (MDSC) to accurately measure heat flow and thermal transitions — such as glass transition, melting, crystallization, and curing — across a wide temperature range from -120 to 725 °C for advanced material characterization.
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Thermal analysis
TA Instruments Discovery TGA 5500
A high-performance thermogravimetric analyser with an infrared-heated furnace and Tru-Mass balance that measures mass change as a function of temperature and atmosphere, quantifying polymer, plasticiser, carbon black and inorganic filler content, as well as thermal and oxidative stability, from ambient to 1200 °C.
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Thermomechanical analysis
TA Instruments Discovery DMA 850
A dynamic mechanical analyser with non-contact drive motor and air-bearing technology that measures storage modulus, loss modulus and damping in tension, compression, bending and shear, determining viscoelastic behaviour, glass transition and FEA input data from -160 to 600 °C.
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Evolved gas analysis
TA Instruments Discovery MS
A benchtop quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to the thermobalance through a heated capillary interface, identifying gaseous species evolved during heating and decomposition — additives, plasticisers, residual monomers and fluorinated fragments — over a mass range of 1 to 300 amu.
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Spectroscopy
Thermo Scientific Nicolet Apex
A research-grade Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with diamond ATR sampling that identifies polymer families, curing systems, fillers and chemical degradation products, supported by a spectral library of more than 10,000 references for material verification, conformance testing and failure analysis.
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Mechanical testing
Instron 68TM-30
A 30 kN dual-column electromechanical testing system with environmental chamber, video extensometry and digital image correlation that performs tensile, compression, tear, stress-relaxation and component tests on elastomers, thermoplastics and finished seals from -90 to 350 °C.
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Optical metrology
Keyence VHX-7000 series
A 4K digital microscope with fully integrated optics and motorised stage that delivers high-resolution imaging from 5 to 2500× magnification, depth composition, 3D surface profiling and roughness measurement for fractography, surface defect inspection and dimensional control of sealing components.
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Elemental analysis
Keyence EA-300
A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analyser integrated with the digital microscope that performs elemental identification from hydrogen to uranium within seconds, locating and characterising inclusions, contamination particles and inorganic fillers directly at the region of interest.
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Physical properties
Bareiss digi test II
An automatic hardness testing system with Shore A, AM, B, D, 000 and IRHD measuring heads that determines the hardness of standard test pieces and finished O-rings, using laser-assisted centering and constant loading for operator-independent results to ISO 48 and ASTM D2240.
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Physical properties
Radwag AS 220.X2.PLUS with density determination kit
An analytical balance with 220 g capacity, 0.1 mg readability and internal automatic adjustment, fitted with a density kit that applies Archimedes’ principle to determine the density and specific gravity of solid materials — virgin and aged elastomers, plastics and composites — as well as fluid samples.
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Aging and exposure
POL-EKO SLW SMART ovens and PTFE-lined autoclaves
A dedicated aging test room with eight computer-controlled laboratory ovens and sixteen PTFE-lined pressure autoclaves, enabling thermal aging, immersion in oilfield fluids and chemicals, and accelerated lifetime studies of sealing materials at temperatures up to 300 °C.
View detailsWe characterise elastomers, thermoplastics and composites from raw stock to finished seals in one documented assessment.
We determine composition, transitions and viscoelastic properties using DSC, TGA-MS, DMA and FTIR.
We verify incoming materials, evaluate shelf life and issue 3.1 certificates to EN 10204 and NORSOK M-710.
We formulate and qualify new compounds, each documented with a material passport and FEA models.
We age materials in oilfield fluids, sour gas and chemicals and estimate service life with regression models.
We identify the root cause of seal failures: RGD, extrusion, contamination or chemical attack, and define corrective measures.
We calibrate nonlinear constitutive models on in-house data and simulate seals under pressure and thermal loads.
We will measure friction and wear and extend lifetime prediction to dynamic seals with a dedicated tribometer.
Sealing materials are characterised and qualified for the service conditions of each sector.
Oil and Gas
Geothermal Exploration
Pulp and Paper
Hydrogen Economy
CCUS / CO₂
Hydropower
Chemical Processing
Robotics
Cryogenic Equipment
Vacuum Technology
General Industry
Questions we have answered.
Development of a numerical tool for predicting service life attributes of an FKM seal material in HPHT sour reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Failure investigation through rigorous thermal history analysis linking part distortion and leakage to unrelieved internal stresses from billet molding.
Developing a proprietary reinforced fluoropolymer formulation to eliminate thermal creep and seal blowout in downhole valve actuators operating at 1,380 bar and 200 °C.
Accelerated testing confirmed NORFLEX Z9001 remained stable in heavy cesium formate brine, supporting projected service lives of 2 years at 180 °C and 30 years at 130 °C.
