The compressive strength of plastics and rubbers determines the behaviour of such materials under specified loads and temperature conditions. The methods can be used to determine; Compressive stress and strain, elastic limitations, yield point and yield strength.

Our methods:

• ISO 815-1 - Compression set test of rubber at ambient or elevated temperatures
• ASTM D695 - Compressive Properties of Rigid Plastics

Density (ρ) is the relationship between the mass (m) and the volume (V) of a specific amount of material, results is given in kg/m³ or g/cm³.

Our methods:

• ISO 1183-1 2012 - Density of solid plastics, Method A, Immersion method
• ASTM D 1895 - Bulk density of granules and powders, method A

• Static decay
• Electrostatic dissipastion performance of materials.
• Surface  resistivity / sheet resistance 
• (Volume) resistivity

Fatigue is the weakening of a material caused by repeatedly applied loads. It is the progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. The nominal maximum stress values that cause such damage may be much less than the strength of the material typically quoted as the ultimate tensile or yield limit.

Factors that affect fatigue failure are cyclic stress state, geometry, surface quality, material type, residual stresses, size and distribution of internal defects, direction of loading, temperature, etc.

Our methods:

• Internal method, various standards performed on BOSE ElectroForce 3330

Plastics, elastomers and rubbers have a wide range of hardness ranging from soft elastomeric materials to hard and stiff polymers like polystyrene (PS) or Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). It is important to quantitatively measure the material hardness.

Our methods:

• ISO 868 - Shore Hardness A and D
• ISO 2039-1 - Ball indentation method
• 2039-2 - Rockwell R

Plastics can become subjected to rapid stress or impact loads and it is important to quantify how different plastic materials can withstand such impact loads. Two of the most common methods are the so-called Izod and Charpy (pendulum) impact tests.

Our methods:

• ISO 6603-2 - Instrumented Falling weight (IFW)
• ISO 179-1 - Charpy Impact strength, unnotched or notch A, B or C
• ISO 180 - Izod Impact strength, unnotched or notch A, B

Long term behaviour of plastic material under stress is a critical property in several applications. Plastic components in applications like infrastructure or automotive often need to withstand a certain stress over very long time. Also in packaging application this is relevant in some cases.

Our methods:

• ISO 899-1 - Tensile creep behaviour
• ISO 16770 - FNCT Full notch creep test (FNCT)
• ASTM D 1693 - ESCR Bell test (environmental stress cracking - method B)

The optical properties of polymers, including haze, gloss, and transparency as well as the colour, are critical to many applications of commercial plastics. The transmittance of light determined by reflection, absorption and scattering. Plastic materials can be transparent, opaque or translucent. Different plastics also absorb light differently, which can also be influenced by the additives.

Our methods:

• ASTM D1003 - Haze, Transmittance and Clarity
• DIN EN ISO 2813, ASTM D 2457 and ASTM D 523 - Gloss
• ASTM E313 - Yellowness Index
• CIE L*a*b - Color measurement

The strength and stiffness of plastics are important for the design of products and parts in order to predict their performance under stress. This is especially important in structural, load bearing applications. Plastic materials can be stiff, rigid and strong or opposite and the final product can furthermore be isotropic or anisotropic. There are a wide range of methods to test and describe such mechanical properties.

Our methods:

ISO 527-1/2 - Determination of tensile properties

ASTM D638 - Tensile Properties of Plastics

ASTM D412 Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic Elastomers

ISO37 - Tensile Testing of Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic 

ISO 178 - Determination of flexural properties, e.g. modulus

Test specimen preparation from raw material or products via granulation, compounding, compression moulding, injection moulding, film blowing, cast film production, blow moulding, milling.

Norner has the expertise and tools for testing the thermal conductivity of materials.

Instrument FOX-50

FOX-50 is microprocessor based instrument for testing in accordance to ASTM C518 and ISO 8301. The instrument FOX-50 is designed to test:

• Polymers
• Composite materials
• Low conductivity ceramics
• Glasses

• It is designed for testing the thermal conductivity of materials in the conductivity range of  0,1 W/mK° to 10 W/mK°
• The instrument is designed to test polymers, composite materials, low conductivity ceramics and glasses
• Test specimen up to 63mm diameter with thickness 0 - 25mm
• Temperature range from -10°C to +110°C

Plastics that are going to be used at moderately elevated temperatures or even high temperatures must be resistant to these conditions during the time exposed to these temperatures. 

Our methods:

• ISO 75-1/2 - Heat Deflection temperature, method A and B
• ISO 306 - Vicat softening temperature, method A and B