Thermal Tests
Understanding how plastic materials behave with temperature changes
Thermal tests are essential for studying how plastic and thermoplastic materials behave with temperature changes. These analyses provide crucial information on the thermal properties of polymers, allowing for predicting their behavior under different conditions of use and to ensuring their quality and compliance with standards.
Through the application of specific techniques and methodologies, thermal tests enable the determination of fundamental parameters such as the glass transition temperature (Tg), the melting temperature (Tm), the heat resistance, the dimensional stability and other thermal properties that influence the performance and durability of plastic materials.
The HDT and Vicat tests consist of determining the temperature at which a specimen subjected to stress deflects: in the case of the HDT test the sample undergoes a bending in the case of the Vicat test the sample undergoes penetration by a needle.
Thermal tests performed by Plastanalis
In our laboratory, we carry out a wide range of thermal tests to characterize the properties of plastic materials and ensure their compliance with international standards.
Thermal properties of the polymer (Tm, Tg) DSC (ISO 11357)
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is used to determine the melting temperature (Tm) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polymers. These properties are essential for understanding the thermal behavior of materials and their ideal applications.
OIT (Oxidative Induction Time) Determination
The oxidation induction time (OIT) is measured to assess the long-term stability of plastic materials exposed to oxygen and heat. This test is crucial for predicting the life of a material in oxidative environments.
HDT Test (ISO 75)
The HDT (ISO 75) test measures the deflection temperature under load (HDT) to evaluate the heat resistance of plastic materials. This test is fundamental for determining the maximum use temperature of a material under load conditions.
The test involves stressing a specimen in bending at a given initial stress and immersing it in a thermostatic bath whose temperature is increased at a constant rate. The temperature at which the specimen deflects by a specified amount corresponds to the analysis result.
VICAT Test (ISO 306)
This test determines the Vicat softening temperature, which indicates the temperature at which a plastic material begins to soften under a certain force. This test is useful for comparing the heat resistance of different materials. In the case of the VICAT test (ISO 306) a penetrator with a circular section (needle), loaded with a defined weight, is placed on the specimen. The specimen prepared in this way is immersed in a thermostatic bath whose temperature is increased at a constant rate. The temperature at which the needle penetrates the specimen by a predetermined amount corresponds to the analysis result.
Useful Resources
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Tensile Testing in Climatic Chamber: Predicting Real-World Polymer Performance
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