Plastics Testing

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ASTM D – Tensile Testing, Flexural Testing, Impact Testing, MFR, Specific Gravity, Hardness, Heat Aging, HDT, Vicat Softening, Yellowness Index, Color Index, Gloss, LOI, Flammability, Failure analysis, ASTM and ISO test specimen molding

We receive plastic resins and parts for testing for a variety of reasons, but mainly to:

  • Prepare Technical Data Sheet, TDS
  • Confirm if materials meet standards and specifications
  • Determine the degree of degradation caused by processing or environmental aging.
  • Determine causes of failure – Failure Analysis
  • Material Identification

The tests are done as per ASTM on either specimen molded from the resin or granulated part or on die-cut or machine cut samples from actual part (films, sheets, part walls). In rare and special cases, tests are performed on the actual part.

We provide the following tests services:

Sample preparations:tt_img_NEWIM[1]

  • Injection molding to ASTM (ASTM D 3641)
  • Compression molding test specimens (ASTM D524, D4703)
  • Injection molded samples for UL testing.

Physical Testingtt_img_Tensile[1]

  • Density (ASTM D 792)
  • Shore A Hardness (ASTM D 2240)
  • Barcol Hardness (ASTM D 2583)
  • Rockwell Hardness (ASTM D 785)
  • Flexible cellular materials (ASTM D 5672)
  • Apparent or bulk density (ASTM 1895)
  • Moisture analysis (ASTM D 6980)

Mechanical properties

  • Tensile modulus, strength and % elongation Properties (ASTM D 638, D 412)
  • Flexural modulus of elasticity, flexural strength (ASTM D 790)
  • Cycling fatigue test (Tensile and flexural)
  • Izod impact properties (machine or molded in notch) (ASTM D 256)
  • Dart impact Strength (room temp, low temperature) (ASTM D 5420, 1709,2794)
  • Cold cylindrical mandrel bend test (ASTM D 522)
  • Compression strength (ASTM D 695, D3574)
  • Tear resistance (ASTM D 1004)

Abrasionsurfaceproperties

  • Taber Abrasion via weight loss (ASTM D 1242)
  • Modified Taber scratch resistance
  • Scratch hardness (pencil test) (ASTM D 3363)

Thermal Properties

  • Heat deflection (HDT) (ASTM D 648)
  • Vicat softening temperature (ASTM D 1525)
  • Long term heat aging in air (ASTM D 794)
  • Linear shrinkage from molded dimensions (ASTM D 955)
  • Compression set of elastomers and vulcanizates (ASTM D 395 B).

Optical PropertiesSAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

  • Yellowness index (ASTM D 1925)
  • Whiteness index (ASTM D 2244)
  • Color evaluation (ASTM D 1729)
  • Specular gloss 20,45, 85 degrees (ASTM D 2457)
  • Gardner yellowness index

Optical Microscopy (OM)

  • Surface cracking and crazing
  • Peeling and adhesion failure
  • Void, blisters in core
  • Contaminants
  • Scratched surfaces
  • Pigment dispersion in plastics compounds (ASTM D 3015)

Flow and Rheologytt_img_mfr[1]

  • Melt flow index (ASTM D 1238)
  • Capillary rheometry (various L/D dies) (ASTM D 3835)
  • Dynamic cone and plate rheometry (solutions, gel time, melt) (ASTM D4440)
  • Cup flow test (liquids, powders, solids)

Thermal Characterizationtt_img_DSC[1]Failureanalysisftir

  • Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (ASTM D 3417, 3418, 4591)
  • % Crystallinity
  • Melting point, Glass transition temperature
  • Isothermal crystallization kinetics (t ½)
  • Nucleation
  • Blend compositions
  • Copolymer analysis (FTIR,
  • Heat capacity measurement (Cp)
  • Limiting oxygen index (OI, ASTM D 3895)
  • Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
  • % Volatiles (water, solvent)
  • Thermal stability
  • % CB content
  • % inorganic content
  • Thermoxodative stability
  • Degradation kinetics

Spectroscopy : Material identifications

  • FTIR
  • Material Identification
  • Additive presence /absence
  • Failure analysis
  • Filler surface treatments
  • Adhesion failure
  • Analysis of components in PVC by FTIR (ASTM D 2124)
  • Absorption of PE due to methyl groups at 1378 1/cm ( ASTM D 2238)
  • Measurements in VA content in EVA by FTIR (ASTM D 5594)

Flammability tt_img_LOI[1]

  • Rate of burning -non rigid (ASTM D 4804)
  • Rate of burning rigid plastic (ASTM D 635, 3801)
  • UL V-0 (Not  certified)
  • UL HB (Not  certified)
  • Oxygen index (ASTM D 2863)

Foamed Plastics

  • Rigid foam density (ASTM D 1622)
  • Compressive strength (ASTM D 1621)

Chemical

  • Water absorption in plastics via immersion (ASTM D 570)
  • Resistance of TPV to ASTM 901,902, 903 oil (ASTM D
  • Heat aging of plastics without load (ASTM D 3045)
  • Heat aging of oxidatively-degradable plastics (ASTM D 5510)
  • Ash content in thermoplastics (Antiblock level) (ASTM D5630)
  • Carbon black content Muffle furnace method (ASTM D 4218)
  • Carbon black in olefin plastics (TGA) (ASTM D 1603, 6260)
  • Resistance of plastics to chemical reagents (ASTM D 543)