Materials Engineering

• Laboratory of plastics processing and rheology
• Laboratory of mechanical properties testing
• Special testing methods
• Accredited Services

The laboratory has been active in the research and development of thermoplastic materials, monitoring trends in the field of plastics processing, compounding and applications. Main areas of interest are filled plastics, especially polyolefins, reactive compounding of these, special polymer blends and flame retardant materials.

Materials and articles made of these can be subjected to physico-mechanical testing, flammability testing or they can be further examined by means of thermal analysis, microscopy and x-ray analysis. It is also possible to evaluate a number of parameters of certain inorganic compounds from the viewpoint of their suitability as potential fillers for polymers.

Typical examples of these activities are the developments of materials serving a given application such as plastics components for automotive industry, electro-engineering, civil engineering, cable industry, gas industry, etc.

Laboratory of plastics processing and rheology

Expertise in super-molecular thermoplastic polymer structure, rheological behaviour of plastics, compounding and converting of plastics represent a basis for the activities of this group. Within the framework of these latter, some selected particulate fillers are evaluated.

The main areas of interest can be defined as follows:

• testing of parameters relevant for material quality control
• determination of rheological and physical characteristics necessary in plastics engineering
• examination of behaviour of materials subjected to kneading, extrusion, blowing, injection moulding and thermoforming
• manufacturing of test specimens, semifinished products and model articles used for subsequent testing of their physical and application properties. Study of relationships between processing conditions and desirable properties, optimisation of processing conditions of new materials. Testing of small injection moulds.
• study of relationships between polymer structure, composition and morphology of materials and their rheological and processing characteristics
• research and development in the field of CR polypropylene grades
• chemical modifications of polymers in the extruder

This group is capable of carrying out extensive testing of mechanical and some electrical properties of polymer specimens which can also be prepared in this laboratory. The tests comply with ISO standards and/or recognised national standards (DIN, ASTM, etc.).

Standard testing methods

Determination of tensile properties - injection moulded specimens, sheets, films

ISO 527
cross-head speed range: 0.5 ÷ 500 mm/min
temperature range: -60 ÷ 200 °C

Determination of flexural properties - injection moulded specimens, sheets

ISO 178
temperature range: -60 ÷ 200 °C

Determination of modulus of elasticity in tension

ISO 527
temperature range: 23 ÷ 200 °C

Determination of modulus of elasticity in flexure

ISO 178
temperature range: -60 ÷ 200 °C

Determination of properties derived from the tensile load course

For example:
   coefficient of friction (ISO 8295)
   de-blocking force of films, pipe stiffness, etc.

Determination of tear resistance (film and sheeting)

Trouser tear method (ISO 6383-1)
Elmendorf method (ISO 6383-1)

Determination of hardness

Ball indentation method (ISO 2039-1)
Rockwell hardness (ISO 2039-2)

Determination of indentation hardness by means of a durometer

Shore A, D (ISO 868, DIN 53505)

Determination of Charpy impact properties

Non-instrumented impact test (ISO 179-1)
Instrumented impact test (ISO 179-2)
temperature range: -60 ÷ 23 °C

Determination of Izod impact strength

ISO 180
temperature range: -60 ÷ 23 °C

Determination of impact resistance by the free falling dart method of plastics film and sheeting

ISO 7765-1

Determination of puncture impact behaviour of rigid plastics

Non-instrumented impact testing (ISO 6603-2, ASTM D 3029)
Instrumented puncture test (ISO 6603-2, ASTM D 3029)
temperature range: -40 ÷ 23 °C

Determination of the Vicat softening temperature

ISO 306

Determination of temperature of deflection under load

ISO 75-1, ISO 75-2

Determination of coefficient of linear thermal expansion of plastics

CSN 64 0528
temperature range: 25 ÷ 85 °C

Determining the density of non-cellular plastics

Immersion method (ISO 1183-1)

Relative permittivity and dissipation factor

ISO 472, IEC 250
temperature range: 23 ÷ 150 °C

Volume and surface resistivity of insulating materials

ISO 472, IEC 93
temperature range: 23 ÷ 150 °C

Resistivity of conductive plastics

ISO 3915
temperature range: 23 ÷ 100 °C

Besides the standard evaluation of materials, the research team deals with problems of fracture toughness, fracture mechanics and measurements of lifetime and special creep properties. An understanding of these phenomena is essential for the development of materials for demanding engineering applications.

Determination of crack opening rate at long time creep tension (PENT Test)

ISO/CD 16241

Determination of PE pipes resistance to slow crack growth (Cone Test)

ISO 13480

Determination of environmental stress cracking of PE - Full-notch creep test (FNCT)

ISO 16770
temperature range: 40 ÷ 95 °C

Determination of resistance to rapid crack propagation - Small scale steady state (S4) test

ISO 13477
temperature range: -20 ÷ 23 °C
pipe diameters: 32, 63 and 110 mm (max. limit of the apparatus: 250 mm)

Determination of antistatic properties of plastics by attenuation of electric charge

Time to failure of plastic pipe under constant internal pressure (hydrostatic rupture data)

ISO 1167

Time to failure of plastic pipe under constant internal pressure of aggressive flowing media

ASTM F 2023

Time to failure of plastic plates under constant surface loading (hydrostatic rupture data)

one temperature within the range of 40 and 80 °C
five independent pressure levels
effective surface diameter of 200 mm

Determination of creep behaviour - Tensile creep

ISO 899-1
temperature range: 23 ÷ 150 °C

Determination of creep behaviour - Flexural creep by three (four) - point loading

ISO 899-2
temperature: +23 °C

Testing long-time creep under deflection loads

comparative creep measurements can be carried out at laboratory temperature
the dimensions of tested plates can be taken within 600 × 600 mm ÷ 1300 × 1300 mm

Dynamic mechanical analysis (tensile vibration, flexural vibration - non-resonance method)

ISO 6721-1,-4,-5
temperature range: -120 ÷ 500 °C
frequency range: 0.001 ÷ 10 Hz

Determination of internal stress by measuring 3D geometry on specimens cut out from articles from plastics

measurement is carried out at room temperature
specimen dimensions up to 150x150 mm

Gloss and haze determination in plastic films

Morphological structure using both optical and electron microscopy

Distribution of rubber phase in heterophasic polyolefin systems

In 2002 subsequently in 2009 the Czech Accreditation Institute awarded the Certificate of Accreditation to the PIB in which the status of accredited testing site is recognised to the testing laboratory for carrying certain mechanical and special material tests the list of which is in the following table:

	Test	Standards
1.	Determination of tensile properties	ISO 527-1,-2,-3,-4,-5; CSN EN 12814-2,-4,-6; ISO 6259-1
2.	Determination of bending properties	ISO 178; CSN EN 12814-1
3.	Determination of compression properties	ISO 604
4.	Determination of impact strength by Charpy method	ISO 179-1,-2;
5.	Determination of impact strength by Izod method	ISO 180
6.	Determination of properties at multiaxial impact loading	ISO 6603-1,-2
7.	Determination of hardness by scleroscope point indentation (Shore hardness)	ISO 868
8.	Determination of hardness: - Ball indentation method - Rockwell hardness	ISO 2039-1,-2
9.	Determination of temperature of deflection under load	ISO 75-1,-2,-3
10.	Determination of Vicat softening temperature (VST)	ISO 306
11.	Determination of coefficient of linear thermal expansion	CSN 64 0528
12.	Determination of density of non-expanded plastics - immersion method	ISO 1183-1
13.	Determination of resistance to slow propagation of crack (PENT)	ISO/CD 16241
14.	Determination of environmental stress cracking by full-notch creep test (FNCT)	ISO 16770; CSN EN 12814-3; ASTM D 5397
15.	Determination of crystallization parameters of plastics by Differential Sensing Calorimetry (DSC)	ISO 11357-1; method of PIB (PP15a) for PE characterization
16.	Determination of the resistance to rapid crack propagation - test S4	ISO/FDIS 13477
17.	Macroscopic evaluation of weld quality in thermoplastic materials	CSN EN 12814-5
18.	Determination of ash content (content of glass and mineral binder) in plastics - by gravimetry	ISO 3451-1,-2,-3,-4; ISO 1172
19.	Determination of water content (moisture) - Karl Fischer method	ISO 15512; ISO 760
20.	Determination of emissions of organic substances in plastics	PV 3341
21.	Determination of combustibility class	DIN 4102-1 (B2)
22.	Determination of burning behaviour of materials for interior of cars, tractors, forestry and farming machines	ISO 3795 DIN 75 200
23.	Determination of burning behaviour of plastics	UL-94
24.	Determination of the melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and the melt volume-flow rate (MVR) of thermoplastics	ISO 1133
25.	Determination of the pipe resistance to constant internal pressure at constant temperature	CSN EN 921 + AC; ISO 1167
26.	Determination of the viscosity of polymers - capillary viscosimeter (solution method)	ISO 1628-1,-4,-5; ISO 307
27.	Determination of overall migration into aqueous food simulants - gravimetry, GC/FID	CSN EN 1186-1,-3
28.	Determination of overall migration into olive oil - gravimetry, GC/FID	CSN EN 1186-1,-2,-10
29.	Determination of content of phthalic ester - gravimetry, GC/MS	CSN EN 14372, part 6.3.2