Plastic tests determine the quality of plastic through strength, flexibility, durability, and temperature resistance. Different machines and techniques are used to test plastics for stress, impact, and light interference. Aging tests can also be performed to determine how well a sample will hold up over time and exposure to the elements.
A plastic test is any type of test performed on a plastic sample. These tests can be used to determine the strength, flexibility or durability of a plastic and are often used as a quality control measure. Labs that offer to test plastics use a variety of different machines and techniques to determine the quality of the plastic.
A common type of plastic test is a test of how well the plastic holds up at different temperatures. For this type of test, a sample of the plastic is placed in a chamber where the temperature is slowly but steadily raised or lowered. Engineers observe changes in the quality of the plastic, such as expansion, cracking, melting or contraction, depending on the test specifications, and note the temperature at which the change occurred.
Plastics can also be tested for how durable they are under stress. A test of plastic that determines durability uses a machine that bends a piece of plastic until it breaks. In another type of test, a piece of plastic can be pressed tightly between two sides of a car until it compresses or breaks with the strain. Engineers can also use a machine that hits the sample, testing the plastic’s ability to resist the impact and slow it down. Examining the forces used in each of these types of stress tests gives engineers insight into the strength of a plastic sample.
Some plastics intended for use as lenses may also undergo a plastic test which determines how the plastic interferes with light passing through it. In one of these tests, light with a specific wavelength is viewed through the sample, and the color and quality of the light is compared to the color and quality of the same wavelength of light that has not passed through a lens. Haze, or the amount of visible light that is refracted as it passes through a plastic lens, can also be tested in a similar plastic test.
For plastics intended for use under different types of conditions, aging tests can also be performed. A sample can be tested to see how much water it absorbs or to see at what temperature it will catch fire. A machine that mimics the effects of weather over an extended period of time can be used in a plastic test that determines how well a sample will hold up over time and exposure to the elements.
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