Optimize Your Production Processes with Plastic Testing

One of the most significant plastics fair in both our country and Europe, Plast Eurasia İstanbul 2024, will take place from December 4 to 7 at the TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center. At this fair, you can explore a wide range of solutions to enhance your production processes, including plastic manufacturing machinery, automation products, recycling innovations, cutting-edge raw materials, and much more.

What is Plastic Testing?

Plastic testing refers to a series of evaluations conducted to assess the performance, durability, flexibility, and quality of plastic raw materials and products. These tests vary depending on the product's intended use and type. Conducting plastic tests tailored to the specific plastic products used in the manufacturing process allows for insights into critical attributes such as mechanical strength, chemical resistance, flexibility, hardness, and thermal stability. Plastic testing is crucial for optimizing production processes and enhancing safety. Furthermore, these assessments ensure that the products meet national and international standards.

What are the Most Common Plastic Tests

What is a Tensile Test and How is it Conducted?

Known as flexibility tests, the tensile test measures how much plastic materials can stretch under applied force or stress. The plastic tensile test generates stress-strain diagrams used to determine the tensile modulus, assessing the material's elasticity, or its ability to return to its original shape when the force is removed. This test is especially critical for understanding the lifespan and durability of products where flexibility is essential (such as rubber and flexible plastics) and for optimizing the production process. Tensile tests for plastics also provide valuable insights into:

• Tensile strength
• Tensile modulus
• Tensile stress
• Elongation and percentage of elongation at yield
• Elongation at break and percentage elongation

The most commonly recognized tensile test standards include EN ISO 527-1, 527-2, and ASTM D638. These tensile test standards outline the testing procedures, specify the tensile testing equipment and sample dimensions, and detail the parameters that need to be determined as part of the test results.

What is a Polymer Test and How is it Conducted?

The polymer test is essential for evaluating the physical and chemical properties of polymer materials, ensuring their safety. Through polymer testing, you can identify the quality, characteristics, and defects of the materials used in the production process. This helps ensure compliance with all relevant national and international standards, guaranteeing that your polymer materials meet customer safety and environmental requirements. Polymer tests assess various mechanical, thermal, electrical, flammability, and optical properties of different polymer materials.

What is a Impact Test and How is it Conducted?

The impact test is a mechanical test that measures the resistance of a plastic or polymer material to sudden and high-energy applications. During the plastic impact test, a specific weight or energy is dropped onto the material, and the material's response to this impact is evaluated. The drop height is adjusted—either increased or decreased—based on whether the test sample passes or fails, and the test is repeated to obtain average results. While conducting the impact resistance test, conditions such as cracking, deformation, or breaking of the material are examined, providing insights into the impact resistance and overall strength of the relevant plastic material. The impact test is one of the most commonly used tests for analyzing the performance of plastic materials.

What is a Hardness Test and How is it Conducted?

The hardness test measures the surface hardness of a polymer material, typically using scales such as Shore, Rockwell, or Vickers. In the Rockwell Hardness Test, a standard sample is placed on the device's surface, and a small load is applied, adjusting the gauge to zero. A larger load is then applied by moving an arm, and after 15 seconds, the large load is removed. The sample is allowed to recover for 15 seconds, after which the hardness is directly read from the dial with the small load still applied, using one of the R, L, M, E, or K scales. This hardness test helps assess the material's mechanical properties, wear resistance, and overall durability. In the plastic industry, this test plays a critical role in quality control processes to determine the suitability of polymers for various applications.

You can also optimize your production processes and enhance safety by subjecting the plastic and polymer materials you use to appropriate tests based on their intended purpose. At the Plast Eurasia İstanbul 2024 Fair, you will discover many innovations and technologies relevant to the industry. If you haven't purchased your ticket yet, you can visit our Online Ticket page.