ASTM D638-01

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
An American National Standard
Designation: D 638 – 01
Standard Test Method for
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Tensile Properties of Plastics
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 638; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope * 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the tensile
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
properties of unreinforced and reinforced plastics in the form
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
of standard dumbbell-shaped test specimens when tested under
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
defined conditions of pretreatment, temperature, humidity, and
testing machine speed.
2. Referenced Documents
1.2 This test method can be used for testing materials of any
2.1 ASTM Standards:
thickness up to 14 mm (0.55 in.). However, for testing
D 229 Test Methods for Rigid Sheet and Plate Materials
specimens in the form of thin sheeting, including film less than
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Used for Electrical Insulation
1.0 mm (0.04 in.) in thickness, Test Methods D 882 is the
D 412 Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermo-
preferred test method. Materials with a thickness greater than
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plastic Elastomers—Tension
14 mm (0.55 in.) must be reduced by machining.
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D 618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
1.3 This test method includes the option of determining
D 651 Test Method for Tensile Strength of Molded Electri-
Poisson’s ratio at room temperature.
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cal Insulating Materials
NOTE 1—This test method and ISO 527-1 are technically equivalent.
D 882 Test Methods for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic
NOTE 2—This test method is not intended to cover precise physical
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Sheeting
procedures. It is recognized that the constant rate of crosshead movement
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D 883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
type of test leaves much to be desired from a theoretical standpoint, that
D 1822 Test Method for Tensile-Impact Energy to Break
wide differences may exist between rate of crosshead movement and rate
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Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials
of strain between gage marks on the specimen, and that the testing speeds
specified disguise important effects characteristic of materials in the
D 3039/D 3039M Test Method for Tensile Properties of
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plastic state. Further, it is realized that variations in the thicknesses of test
Polymer Matrix Composite Materials
specimens, which are permitted by these procedures, produce variations in
D 4000 Classification System for Specifying Plastic Mate-
the surface-volume ratios of such specimens, and that these variations may
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rials
influence the test results. Hence, where directly comparable results are
D 4066 Specification for Nylon Injection and Extrusion
desired, all samples should be of equal thickness. Special additional tests
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Materials
should be used where more precise physical data are needed.
NOTE 3—This test method may be used for testing phenolic molded D 5947 Test Methods for Physical Dimensions of Solid
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resin or laminated materials. However, where these materials are used as
Plastic Specimens
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electrical insulation, such materials should be tested in accordance with
E 4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines
Test Methods D 229 and Test Method D 651.
E 83 Practice for Verification and Classification of Exten-
NOTE 4—For tensile properties of resin-matrix composites reinforced
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someter
with oriented continuous or discontinuous high modulus >20-GPa
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E 132 Test Method for Poisson’s Ratio at Room Tempera-
(>3.0 3 10 -psi) fibers, tests shall be made in accordance with Test
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ture
Method D 3039/D 3039M.
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
1.4 Test data obtained by this test method are relevant and
appropriate for use in engineering design.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
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standard. The values given in parentheses are for information Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 10.01.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 09.01.
only.
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Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 08.01.
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Discontinued; see 1994 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 10.01.
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Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.03.
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This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on Plastics Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 08.02.
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and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.10 on Mechanical Properties. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 08.03.
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Current edition approv
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