What is ISO 179-2 about?
ISO 179-2 is a series on plastics. Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as the main ingredient. ISO 179-2 specifies a method for determining Charpy impact properties of plastics from force-deflection diagrams. Different types of rod-shaped test specimens and test configurations, as well as test parameters depending on the type of material, the type of test specimen.
The method described in ISO 179-2 is also suitable for:
- Acquiring more and different materials characteristics under impact conditions
- Supervising the Charpy test procedure, as this instrumentation allows detection of typical operational mistakes, such as the specimen not being in close contact with the supports
- Automatically detecting the type of break
- Pendulum-type instruments to avoid frequent changes of pendulum hammers
- Measuring fracture mechanical properties described in other ISO standards
Who is ISO 179-2 for?
ISO 179-2 on plastic is useful for:
- Plastic manufacturing industries
- Plastic testing institutions
- Quality control personnel
- Research and development facilities
Why should you use ISO 179-2?
Plastics typically are made through human industrial systems. Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel based chemicals like natural gas or petroleum; however, recent industrial methods use variants made from renewable materials, such as corn or cotton derivatives. The Charpy impact test, also known as the Charpy V-notch test, is a standardized high strain-rate test that determines the amount of energy absorbed by a material during fracture. Absorbed energy is a measure of the material's notch toughness. The purpose of Charpy impact properties is to measure an object's ability to resist high-rate loading.
ISO 179-2 provides the required guidance on conducting instrumented impact tests for Charpy impact properties including apparatus, test specimens, procedures, calculation, and expression of results. The thickness and toughness of plastic determine the holding capacity of the plastic products, so ISO 179-2 ensures maintaining the thickness and toughness of plastic for creditability and consumer satisfaction. Using ISO 179-2 you can specify a method for determining Charpy impact properties of plastics from force-deflection diagrams.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN ISO 179-2:2020 supersedes ISO 179-2:1997. BS EN ISO 179-2:2020 includes some technical changes with respect to ISO 179-2:1997. These include:
- Force calibration requirements have been clarified
- A new subclause for the determination of test speed when using falling mass instruments has been added
- References to ISO 13802:2015 have been updated
