Advanced material testing solutions for industrial applications
Filab is a leading independent chemical analysis and material testing laboratory based in France, dedicated to serving industrial clients (B2B). Whether you’re developing a new product, validating material specifications, or facing a production challenge, Filab provides high-level expertise in materials characterization, chemical composition analysis, and compliance testing.
We offer a complete range of industrial material testing services, tailored to meet the strictest quality and regulatory standards.
Our ISO 17025-accredited laboratory works with clients in the pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace, cosmetics, energy, metallurgy, and construction sectors.
Why perform material characterization?
Each material has its own specific characteristics, whose properties determine the performance of the final product. Indeed, the criteria for selecting a material may involve: its chemical nature, its composition, its form (particle size, crystallinity, morphology, etc.), its surface condition, and more. From processing to the use of the final product, it is essential to ensure the conformity of the materials used and to control the risks of failure (cracking, breakage, corrosion, etc.).
The support and expertise of a laboratory specialized in material characterization or material studies allow you to optimize your production processes with more suitable materials, and to accurately analyze the causes of failures as well as the appropriate solutions for your products and materials.
Our material testing and chemical analysis services
We offer a broad spectrum of material testing solutions and chemical characterization services. Here are our main areas of expertise:
Whether you need to check metal content, detect impurities, or confirm compliance with REACH or RoHS, Filab is your trusted partner.
Our material characterization experts help you select the right materials, validate surface treatments, or troubleshoot unexpected behavior in use.
pH, viscosity, and density checks
Know more about our material testing services
Advanced materials analysis
Material characterization testing
Industrial material testing services
Chemical testing for industry
What analysis techniques are used to characterise materials?
The FILAB laboratory’s analytical facilities cover 5,200m² and offer a range of techniques to best meet your materials characterisation needs. In addition, the laboratory invests heavily each year in its analytical facilities in order to maintain its high-performance technical resources.
Our resources
Analysis of the organic fraction
IRTF, GC-MS, HPLC
Surface analysis
MEB, EBSD, AFM, TOF-SIMS, XPS
Mineral fraction analysis
ICP, SEO, DRX, Elemental analysers
Thermal analysis
ATG, Py-GCMS, DSC
Other
BET, Optical Microscope, Helium Pycnometry, GPC, DMA/TMA, Goniometer, Granulo Laser, IGA, RAMAN...
Why choose Filab for your material testing needs?
As a B2B chemical analysis partner, we understand the challenges industries face: tight deadlines, stringent norms, and high-performance expectations. That’s why we offer:
Our laboratory is ISO 17025 accredited and complies with GLP/GMP when required. Our chemists, engineers, and PhD scientists provide in-depth analysis using state-of-the-art instrumentation.
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Every material assessment or chemical testing request is tailored to your needs—whether for R&D, quality control, or failure investigation.
We deliver fast turnaround times without compromising reliability. Our technical team is always available to discuss results, regulatory requirements, or emergency testing.
We collaborate with your technical team to understand the problem, identify causes, and recommend corrective actions.
Whether you’re a multinational or an SME, we provide the same level of precision, confidentiality, and customer care.
Complementary services
Looking for more than just standard material testing?
We also offer:
Reverse engineering: deconstruct materials to understand composition and structure.
Long-term aging & stability testing: simulate real-world usage.
Benchmarking studies: compare your materials to market standards
Contamination analysis: identify trace residues or foreign particles
Our FAQs
Material testing is used to assess the physical, chemical, or structural properties of materials to ensure they meet performance and regulatory requirements. It helps companies choose the right material, validate manufacturing processes, and guarantee product safety and reliability.
Material testing refers to evaluating the behavior or integrity of a material (e.g., strength, structure, durability), while chemical analysis focuses on its composition—what elements or molecules it contains. At Filab, we offer both as complementary services.
Look for a lab that is ISO 17025 accredited, experienced in your industry, and able to offer tailor-made support. Filab combines scientific rigor with responsive service, making us a reliable partner for complex industrial needs.
Raw material analysis involves verifying the quality, purity, and compliance of incoming materials before they are used in production. This ensures consistency, reduces the risk of defects, and helps meet regulatory standards. Filab offers tailored raw materi
Yes, we offer fast-track services for time-sensitive projects. Contact our team to learn more about lead times and express options.
We work with metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, liquids, powders, coatings, and more. If you're unsure whether your sample qualifies, just ask—we’ll guide you through the process.
Absolutely. We collaborate with R&D teams on formulation validation, material selection, and competitive analysis to accelerate product development and market readiness.
Laboratory characterization of a material is possible using various complementary approaches, such as:
- Molecular or elemental (chemical) analysis
- Diffraction for crystal structure
- Microscopy for morphology/microstructure
Surface analysis (XPS, SEM, TOF-SIMS) - Thermal tests (DSC, TGA)
- Mechanical/electrical/magnetic properties depending on the application
Material characterization and material analysis are techniques that have evolved over time. It became a formal scientific field in the early 20th century with the development of microscopy.
It is a crucial step in understanding the properties and performance of materials. A wide range of techniques is available to scientists and engineers to characterize materials, from microscopy to spectroscopy.
Material characterization is used to determine a material’s chemical composition, crystal structure, microstructure, morphology, and mechanical and thermal properties. The choice of technique depends on the type of material, the required level of precision, and the information sought.
Materials science studies the structure, properties, and performance of materials. It helps establish the relationship between chemical composition, internal structure, physical properties, performance, and applications.
This field encompasses disciplines such as physics, chemistry, materials engineering, and related sciences. Researchers in materials science study a wide range of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and semiconductors, with the aim of developing new materials with enhanced properties or improving existing ones.
Materials chemistry is a discipline that studies materials from a chemical perspective, focusing on their structure, composition, and reactions. It plays a key role in the discovery and development of new materials.
Analytical techniques used in materials chemistry include chemical synthesis and spectroscopy, as well as advanced characterization methods such as X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate material properties at the atomic scale.
Working with a materials testing laboratory can be beneficial across many industries and applications:
Material analysis and characterization
To perform material analysis and understand the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of materials, such as strength, ductility, conductivity, and chemical reactivity.
Quality control
To ensure that materials meet required standards and performance criteria through durability testing, corrosion resistance analysis, and other checks.
Development of new materials
To support innovation by developing new materials with improved performance, enhanced durability, or reduced costs. This includes research on composites, polymers, nanomaterials, ceramics, and metals.
Failure analysis
To investigate material failures in existing structures or defective products. Understanding root causes helps prevent recurrence and improve product design.
Regulatory and environmental compliance
To ensure materials comply with current regulations, including environmental impact, recyclability, and toxicity requirements.
Process optimization
To improve manufacturing processes, reduce costs, and increase production efficiency by better understanding material behavior during processing.
Partnering with a materials laboratory provides access to specialized expertise and advanced analytical equipment that may not be available in-house. It helps ensure product performance, safety, and durability while supporting innovation and competitiveness.
Material characterization in a laboratory involves a set of analytical techniques used to identify a material’s composition, structure, microstructure, and physico-chemical properties. Working with an expert laboratory such as FILAB ensures reliable, accurate, and application-specific analysis.
Depending on the material and the objective, several analytical techniques can be used:
- X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine crystal structure
- Electron microscopy (SEM or FIB-SEM) for morphology and surface topography
- Infrared (FTIR) or Raman spectroscopy for chemical group identification
- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for thermal transitions
Comprehensive material characterization is recommended in several situations:
- Development of a new product
- Change of supplier
- Compliance issues
- Aging or durability studies
- Material failure or defect analysis
This type of analysis provides essential data to support root cause investigations, optimize industrial processes, and validate material performance in real-life applications.