ASTM D1708 is recommended for labs that have a historical material property data that was obtained through D1708 testing. If no such historical data exists, it is recommended to refer to ASTM D638 or ASTM D882. If material is limited for testing purposes, ASTM D638’s Type V specimen is similar in size to the microtensile specimen defined in D1708.

Plastic manufacturers must design plastic to meet the requirements of the end application. Whether they are supplying plastic to produce biomedical devices, bicycle helmets, or children toys, each application has specific strength requirements in addition to safety, weight, environmental resistance, and other requirements. Determining the tensile properties of a polymer provides useful strength and deformation data for the plastics engineering process. It is worth noting that the properties of plastics have a high sensitivity to the rate which rate they are pulled (tension) or pushed (compression). It is important to recognize this sensitivity as properties experienced in the end application can differ from those observed during a controlled test. For this reason, ASTM D1708 and other plastics testing standards are generally used for quality control in a production setting or for comparative purposes in a R&D setting.

Materials Testing System

As typical forces will not exceed 1 kN (225 lbf) and displacements will not exceed 2 inches (50 mm), we recommend a low force single column test frame such as those found in Kason Electronic Universal Testing Machine