Thermoplastics and thermosetting molding materials

The tensile test on plastics to ISO 527-1 and ISO 527-2 yields essential mechanical properties, including tensile stress, strain, tensile modulus, yield point, point of break and Poisson’s ratio.

Here you will find, among other things, information on Charpy test (ISO 179-1), instrumented Charpy test (ISO 179-2), Izod test (ISO 180), tensile impact test (ISO 8256), puncture test (ISO 6603-2).

The 3-point flexure tests to ISO 178 demonstrate classic characterization methods for rigid and semi-rigid plastics.Typical test results include the flexural modulus, stress at 3.5% elongation, stresses and elongations at the yield point and at specimen break.

The tensile test on plastics to ISO 527-1 and ISO 527-2 yields essential mechanical properties, including tensile stress, strain, tensile modulus, yield point, point of break and Poisson’s ratio.

The tensile test on plastics to ASTM D638 yields essential mechanical properties, including tensile stress, strain, tensile modulus, yield point, point of break and Poisson’s ratio.In this process, essential mechanical properties of a molding material or a specimen taken from a defined area on a component are determined.

The 3-point flexure tests to ISO 178 demonstrate classic characterization methods for rigid and semi-rigid plastics.Typical test results include the flexural modulus, stress at 3.5% elongation, stresses and elongations at the yield point and at specimen break.

The ASTM D790 standard describes 3-point flexure tests on rigid and semi-rigid plastics as well as fiber composites with long-fiber reinforcements.

The standards ISO 179-1 (non-instrumented impact strength test) and ISO 179-2 (instrumented impact strength test) describe the impact test to Charpy for determination of the impact and notched impact strength of plastics.

Within the scope of ASTM, the notched impact strength of plastics is normally measured using the Izod test to ASTM D256.The flexural impact stress is applied to a notched specimen that is gripped on one side.The result is presented as the thickness-related energy absorption of the specimen.

The ISO 180 standard describes the Izod impact test on plastics for determination of the impact and notched impact strength.

Tensile impact tests on plastics provide a material property based on the impact energy, which is determined under tensile loading on standardized specimens at high strain rates.When using the same pairings of pendulum and yoke sizes, the result is a good level of reproducibility of the test results.

The measurement of stress-strain curves under high strain rates provides data for crash simulations, for example in vehicle construction.

In a puncture test, the impact strength of a polymer is determined under increased strain rates and a multiaxial stress state.

Creep tests on plastics:Often run over a period of 1,000 hours, the test records the strain of the specimen to demonstrate its long-term behavior.

Determination of the melt mass flow rate (MFR) and melt volume flow rate (MVR) of filled and unfilled thermoplastics to ISO 1133-1 and -2, ASTM D1238, and other similar standards.

Determination of heat deflection temperature (HDT) and Vicat softening temperature (VST) to ISO 306, ASTM D1525, ISO 75, ASTM D648

There are a variety of methods used to test hardness in the plastics industry. The following are described here: Ball indentation hardness: ISO 2039-1, Rockwell hardness: ISO 2039-2, ASTM D785, instrumented hardness testing: ISO 14577-1, Shore hardness: ISO 868, ASTM D2240, ISO 7619

Automation of plastic molding materials testing reduces the statistical scatter of test results. ZwickRoell offers the right automated testing systems for this application.

ZwickRoell supplies all types of equipment needed for the mechanical testing of plastics. This includes equipment to determine static, dynamic and high-speed properties such as tensile, flexural, compression and shear, as well as creep machines for the long-term application of force or strain, instruments to measure impact properties, such as conventional Charpy, Izod and tensile-impact.