If you’ve ever felt this way after reviewing a material data sheet, then this next Impact Plastics Blog series focused on “Understanding your Data Sheet” is for you. In this next blog series, we will explore ASTM tests commonly found on material data sheets for thermoplastic resins. Our last post discussed tensile strength and tensile elongation – now we move onto another commonly encountered specification – Melt Flow Index or Melt Flow Rate. Continue reading to learn more!
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an organization that defines and sets standards to ensure good quality and workmanship. Over 12,000 ASTM standards operate globally, including tests specific to plastics, to help consumers have confidence that the products they purchase will perform as expected.
To conduct this test, approximately 7 grams of the specified polymer is loaded into the barrel of the melt flow indexer, which has been heated to a specified temperature depending on the material being tested.A weight specified for the material is attached to a plunger and pressed down on the material forcing it through a die. A timed extrudate is then collected and then weighed. From this data the melt flow rate value is then calculated and expressed in g/10 min.
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