ISO 527

Introducing ISO 527 – Industrial Physics

ISO 527 is an ISO testing standard that’s used to determine the tensile properties of plastics and plastic composites. 

The International Organization of Standards (ISO) produces a wide range of ISO standards to guide manufacturers, production lines and laboratories when checking the integrity of packaging, products, and materials across many industries.  

The ISO 527 series of tensile tests are used to determine the essential mechanical properties of molding materials. These characteristic values are mostly used for comparison purposes. The guiding principle of the ISO 527 tensile testing standard is the high reproducibility of test results across laboratories, companies and national borders. 

• ISO 527-1: covers the general principles of the test 

• ISO 527-2: test conditions for molding and extrusion materials with a thickness of more than 1mm 

• ISO 527-3: is used to determine the tensile properties of plastic films that are less than one millimeter thick. 

ISO 527-1 plastic tensile testing overview

The first part of ISO 527 specifies the general principles for determining the tensile properties of plastics and plastic composites under defined conditions. Several different types of test specimen are defined to suit different types of material which are detailed in subsequent parts of ISO 527. 

The methods are used to investigate the tensile behavior of the test specimens and for determining the tensile strength, tensile modulus and other aspects of the tensile stress/strain relationship. 

What types of plastic testing does ISO 527 cover?

The ISO 527 plastic tensile test can be used to examine the following four types of plastic samples: 

• Rigid and semi-rigid molding, extrusion and cast thermoplastic materials, including filled and reinforced compounds in addition to unfilled types; rigid and semi-rigid thermoplastics sheets and films 

• Rigid and semi-rigid thermosetting molding materials, including filled and reinforced compounds; rigid and semi-rigid thermosetting sheets, including laminates 

• Fiber-reinforced thermosets and thermoplastic composites incorporating unidirectional or non-unidirectional reinforcements, such as mat, woven fabrics, woven rovings, chopped strands, combination and hybrid reinforcement, rovings and milled fibers; sheet made from pre-impregnated materials (prepregs) 

• Thermotropic liquid crystal polymers. 

The methods are not normally suitable for use with rigid cellular materials, for which ISO 1926 is used, or for sandwich structures containing cellular materials. 

ISO 527 plastic tensile testing devices

So, how can Industrial Physics improve your ISO 527 plastic tensile testing? 

United testing wedge grips

Across the Industrial Physics portfolio we manufacture a wide range of wedge grips for tensile testing. Many of these come from our materials testing specialist brand United Testing, here are some of the options: 

• United Testing Deluxe Action Wedge Grip 

• United Testing A-20 Wedge Grips  

• United Testing A-30 Wedge Grips  

• United Testing A-60 Wedge Grips. 

Industrial Physics is fantastic with plastics!

We’ve learnt a thing or two about tensile testing over the decades. Now Industrial Physics is recognized as a brand that likes to bring new, innovative plastic and polymer testing devices to market. 

We like to share our experience and lessons learnt across the knowledgebase section of our website. For example, there’s this blog on understanding elongation and tensile strength testing. Then you could try this one that asks why is tensile testing important? 

You could say we’re the best – for your tensile test. But we’d be far too modest to suggest as such! If you have any questions about ISO 527 plastic tensile testing or need help to analyze any plastic and polymers you’re examining, just get in touch!  

Your global test and measurement partner for ISO 527