TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 329/1986
By S J Squirrell
Background
The objective of this review is to introduce the test methods commonly used to assess the mechanical properties of plain plastics materials and the quality of welded joints in thermoplastics. These methods divide into two categories:
1. Short term tests, such as tensile testing, which are generally used for quality control/material evaluation purposes.
2. Long term tests, such as creep testing, which are used to provide data for use in design.
The report also describes some of the special considerations associated with the mechanical testing of plastics, for example, viscoelasticity effects and the need for the conditioning of specimens prior to testing.