ISO 179 Plastics test of Charpy impact properties, ISO 179 Charpy impact notched impact strength of plastic

Information on the most widely used ASTM standards within the materials testing industry

Descriptions of the most prominent lSO standards within the materials testing industry

Standards including EN, DIN, JlS, and more

Mechanical testing of polymer materials in the automotive industry is directly related to the safety of components and the reliability of the entire vehicle. UnitedTest can cover mechanical performance testing for automotive interior and exterior parts, as well as functional components, adapting to automaker standards and providing comprehensive testing solutions including tensile, impact, and fatigue tests.

Mechanical testing in the battery industry determines the tensile and puncture resistance of core components such as separators and electrodes, directly affecting battery safety and cycle life. UnitedTest can cover full-dimensional mechanical testing of battery materials, compatible with national and international standards, and provide customized testing solutions.

Mechanical testing in the consumer goods industry determines product durability and safety, such as impact resistance for toys and fatigue resistance for home appliances, making it core to compliance and quality. UnitedTest can cover mechanical tests for all categories of consumer goods, including tensile, impact, and hardness tests, compatible with national and international standards, and offers customized testing solutions.

In the field of medical and biomedical sciences, mechanical testing determines the safety and compatibility of implanted devices and biomaterials, making it a core part of regulatory approval. UnitedTest can cover a full range of tests including tensile, fatigue, and wear tests, compatible with national and international standards, and provides customized biomechanical testing solutions.

Material strength is a course that most engineering fields are required to study in university education. This interesting course is very practical and makes use of testing equipment in the materials laboratory.

Mechanical testing of industrial products and components is essential to ensure their load-bearing, fatigue resistance, and impact resistance, directly preventing production accidents and ensuring stable operation of equipment. UnitedTest can cover a full range of tests including tensile, hardness, and fatigue, complying with national and international standards, and provides customized industrial mechanical testing solutions.

Mechanical testing in the plastic pipe industry determines ring stiffness, impact resistance, and tensile performance, directly preventing pipe bursts and deformation risks. UnitedTest can cover full-dimensional mechanical testing of pipes, complies with ISO,ASTM,EN et.c, international standards, and provides customized testing solutions.

In the construction engineering and building materials industry, mechanical testing determines the compressive and tensile properties of materials such as concrete and steel, which is core to ensuring the safety and durability of buildings. UnitedTest can cover the full range of building material mechanical tests, complies with ISO, ASTM international standards, and provides customized testing solutions for compressive, tensile, and other properties.

Mechanical testing in the food and beverage industry involves the compressive and tensile performance of packaging and the safety of food texture, directly ensuring storage, transportation safety, and the eating experience. UnitedTest can cover all-dimensional mechanical testing for packaging and food texture, comply with national and international standards, and provide customized testing solutions.

Mechanical testing in the packaging industry determines the packaging's resistance to compression, impact, and tension, directly ensuring the safety of contents during storage and transportation. UnitedTest can cover comprehensive mechanical testing for packaging, complying with ISO, ASTM Standards, and provides customized testing solutions for compression, drop, tear, and more.

Mechanical testing in the transportation industry concerns the load-bearing and fatigue resistance performance of core components such as vehicles, tracks, and containers, directly ensuring transport safety and equipment durability. UnitedTest can cover mechanical testing for all types of transportation materials, complying with national and international standards, and provides customized testing solutions including tensile, fatigue, and impact tests.

Metallurgical testing examines the properties of metallic materials to determine if a particular metal is appropriate for its intended use.

Testing of polymer materials covers mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, verifying strength, heat resistance, composition, and ensuring product quality and compliance.

UnitedTest offer world-class testing solution in testing for polymeric materials, including elastomers, thermoplastics, composites, coatings, and structural adhesives in a variety of industries.

Testing of rubber and elastomers is used to assess the various properties and performance of materials under different conditions. This is crucial for ensuring the safety, functionality, and quality of rubber and elastomer products used in industries such as automotive, construction, consumer goods, and aerospace.

Conduct adhesive testing using various testing methods to determine their performance and characteristics in applications across multiple industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, packaging, industrial, medical, and energy, thereby supporting application development and quality assurance.

UnitedTest supply machine and testing solution for tension, compression, fracture toughness, direct shear, triaxial and ultrasonic velocity are common concrete and rock testing applications.

UnitedTest has helped a number of companies involved in the wood, paper, cardboard, and corrugated industry with their testing needs. Our materials testing systems are capable of testing raw materials, components, and finished products.

UnitedTest testing system is trusted by leading medical device manufacturers, universities, and medical research laboratories worldwide. Whether testing tissues or bioresorbable materials, stents, or sutures, UnitedTest offers a variety of single-actuator and dual-actuator systems to meet your biomedical testing needs.

Mechanical testing in the textile fabric industry determines core properties such as fabric tensile strength, tear resistance, and wear resistance, directly affecting product durability and safety. UnitedTest can cover comprehensive mechanical tests for textiles, complying with national standards / ISO standards, and provides customized testing solutions including tensile, tear, and puncture tests.

The mechanical testing of industrial components directly determines the load-bearing, fatigue resistance, and wear resistance of the parts, helping to avoid equipment failure risks. UnitedTest can cover a full range of tests including tensile, hardness, and fatigue, is compatible with ISO/ASTM/GB standards, and provides customized mechanical testing solutions for industrial components.

Mechanical testing in the glass-ceramics industry determines core properties such as flexural strength, hardness, and fracture toughness, directly helping to avoid brittleness and failure risks. UnitedTest can cover comprehensive testing for flexural strength, hardness, and fracture toughness, compatible with national and ISO/ASTM standards, and provides customized testing solutions.

Tensile test evaluates material resistance to stretching, measuring strength/elongation critical for quality control. UnitedTest offers universal tensile testers (10-600KN) compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, providing tailored solutions for metals, polymers, medical & industrial materials.

Compression test assesses material resistance to compressive loads, measuring strength/deformation critical for quality validation. UnitedTest offers compression testing machines compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, providing tailored solutions for concrete, plastics, metals and industrial components.

Flexural & Bend tests evaluate material resistance to bending forces, measuring strength, stiffness and ductility for quality assurance. UnitedTest provides flexural testing machines (3-point/4-point bend) compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, offering tailored solutions for composites, plastics, metals and construction materials.

Torsion Test evaluates material resistance to rotational forces, measuring torsional strength/ductility critical for fasteners, insulators, shafts. UnitedTest offers torsion testers compliant with ASTM A938/ISO 16047, providing tailored solutions for automotive, aerospace, fastener industries.

Fatigue Test assesses material durability under cyclic loading, critical for predicting service life of industrial components. UnitedTest offers fatigue testing systems (axial/bending/torsion) compliant with ASTM E466/ISO 12106, providing tailored solutions for automotive, aerospace and manufacturing sectors.

Peel Test measures material adhesion strength by evaluating resistance to peeling forces, critical for adhesives, films, packaging. UnitedTest offers peel testers compliant with ASTM D903/ISO 8510, covering 90°/180° peel tests, and tailored solutions for packaging, automotive, textile industries.

Impact Test evaluates material resistance to sudden shock loads, critical for assessing toughness and fracture risk. UnitedTest offers impact testers (Charpy/Izod/fall weight) compliant with ASTM E23/ISO 148, providing tailored solutions for metals, plastics, glass and industrial components.

Tear & Shear Test evaluates material resistance to tearing and shearing forces, measuring critical strength parameters for quality control. Tear tests (Elmendorf/trouser/trapezoidal) assess resistance to crack propagation in films/fabrics, while shear tests measure resistance to parallel forces in joints/bolts. UnitedTest provides universal testing machines (10KN-600KN) with specialized fixtures for both tests, compliant with ASTM D624/D3164 and ISO standards, serving automotive, packaging and construction industries.

Hardness test measures material's resistance to permanent indentation, critical for quality control. UnitedTest offers universal hardness testers (Rockwell/Brinell/Vickers) compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, plus tailored hardness testing solutions for diverse industrial needs.

Biaxial/triaxial tests evaluate material performance under multi-axis loads, critical for biomaterials, metals and composites. UnitedTest provides compliant testing machines (ASTM/ISO) for planar biaxial, static/fatigue triaxial tests, with tailored solutions for industrial & biomedical needs.

Friction and wear tests assess material resistance to friction, abrasion and wear, critical for industrial material performance validation. UnitedTest offers tribometers compliant with ASTM G99/ISO standards, covering pin-on-disk, four-ball tests, and tailored friction & wear testing solutions for diverse industries.

Pressure test evaluates material/component resistance to static/dynamic pressure, critical for sealing, strength and safety validation. UnitedTest offers pressure testing machines compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, covering burst, hold-pressure tests, and tailored solutions for industrial, automotive & medical sectors.

Fire test assesses material flammability, heat resistance and fire-retardant performance, critical for safety compliance across industries. UnitedTest offers fire testing equipment compliant with ASTM/ISO/UL standards, providing tailored fire test solutions for building materials, plastics and industrial components.

Non-destructive Test (NDT) evaluates material/component integrity without damage, critical for safety & quality across industries. UnitedTest offers ultrasonic/X-ray/magnetic particle NDT equipment compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, plus tailored NDT solutions for aerospace, automotive & manufacturing sectors.

ISO 179: Plastics -- Determination of Charpy impact properties

ASTM D6110: Standard Test Method for Determining the Charpy Impact Resistance of Notched Specimens of Plastics.

ISO 179 specifies a method for determining the Charpy impact strength of plastics under defined conditions. A number of different types of specimen and test configurations are defined. Different test parameters are specified according to the type of material, the type of test specimen and the type of notch.

The method can be used to investigate the behaviour of specified types of specimen under the impact conditions defined and for estimating the brittleness or toughness of specimens within the limitations inherent in the test conditions. It can also be used for the determination of comparative data from similar types of material.

ISO 179 Plastics test of Charpy impact properties

This method is suitable for use with the following range of materials:

** rigid thermoplastic moulding and extrusion materials (including filled and reinforced compounds in addition to unfilled types) and rigid thermoplastics sheets; rigid thermosetting moulding materials (including filled and reinforced compounds) and rigid thermosetting sheets (including laminates);
** fibre-reinforced thermosetting and thermoplastic composites incorporating unidirectional or multi-directional reinforcements (such as mats, woven fabrics, woven rovings, chopped strands, combination and hybrid reinforcements, rovings and milled fibres) or incorporating sheets made from pre-impregnated materials (prepregs), including filled compounds;
** thermotropic liquid-crystal polymers.


*Plastic V notch impact sample 80104mm*	*Organic glass V notch impact sample 80104mm*

Test Principle of ISO 179-1 Charpy Impact Test:

The test specimen is supported near its ends as a horizontal simply supported beam. A single blow from a pendulum strikes the specimen at the midpoint of the span (line of impact midway between supports), causing high bending deformation. For edgewise impact with notched specimens, the strike line aligns directly opposite the single notch. The absorbed energy is used to calculate impact strength.

Based on energy conservation:

A pendulum is raised to a specific height, storing potential energy (E₁)

The pendulum is released, swinging down to strike the specimen at its midpoint

The specimen absorbs energy during fracture, reducing the pendulum's swing height

The final potential energy (E₂) is measured from the pendulum's maximum rebound height

Impact energy (E) = E₁ - E₂ - friction losses

Impact strength = E / (width × thickness) (for unnotched) or E / (remaining width × thickness) (for notched)

The test evaluates material behavior under high strain rate loading (1-3 m/s), simulating real-world impact conditions.

Testing equipment required for ISO 179-1 impact test:

Component	Specifications
Pendulum Impact Tester	Compliant with ISO 13802, which defines principles, characteristics, and verification methods
Pendulum Energy Ranges	1J, 2J, 4J, 5J, 7.5J, 15J, 25J, 50J. Energy capacity where absorbed energy (W) is 10–80% of available energy (E). Use the pendulum with the highest energy if multiple qualify.
Striking Edge	Radius: 2mm ± 0.1mm; Angle: 30° ± 1°
Support Jaws	Distance between supports: 60mm ± 0.1mm; Radius: 1mm ± 0.1mm
Notching Device	For V-notches: 45° angle, 0.25mm ± 0.02mm root radius

Test Sample Details:

ISO 179 & ASTM D6110 both are standard test method for determining the impact strength or impact resistance of a plastic specimen with a Charpy test. Charpy impact strength testing involves the use of a pendulum to break a test specimen being supported in a cantilever configuration. The impact energy absorbed in impacting a plastic specimen in a Charpy test is taken as being equal to the difference between the potential energy of the pendulum and the energy remaining in the pendulum after impacting the plastic specimen. Corrections accounting for friction and air-resistance losses must also be made to determine the true impact resistance of the plastic. Specimens tested to determine the impact strength through the Charpy impact resistance test and the practices of ISO 179 must be notched. Charpy impact testing of notched specimens in accordance to ISO179 is a common test to determine notch sensitivity of a plastic material. Test machines that are used to perform Charpy impact strength tests in accordance to ISO 179 must meet the requirements of ISO 13802; verification of Charpy pendulum impact testing machines.

Parameter	Requirements
Types	Type A (notched) and Type B (unnotched)
Standard Dimensions	Length: 80mm ± 2mm; Width: 10mm ± 0.2mm; Thickness: 4mm ± 0.2mm. Span 62mm
Alternative Thicknesses	2mm, 3mm, 6mm (with specific testing conditions)
Notch Details	V-notch: Depth = 2mm; Angle = 45°; Root radius = 0.25mm ± 0.02mm
Quantity	10 specimens per set (minimum 5 if coefficient of variation <5%). For laminates, 10 per direction (normal/parallel).
Preparation Methods	Compression molding, injection molding, or mechanical machining (ISO 2818 for sheets)
Surface Quality	No twist, mutually perpendicular surfaces, free of scratches/pits/sink marks/flash. Reject or re-machine non-conforming specimens.
Conditioning	23°C ± 2°C and 50% ± 5% RH for 40 hours minimum (or as specified)

Test Procedures of the ISO 179 Charpy Plastic impact test:

Sample Preparation: Fabricate specimens according to dimensions and notch requirements

Conditioning: Store specimens at 23°C ± 2°C and 50% ± 5% RH for ≥40 hours (or as specified)

Equipment Setup:

Select appropriate pendulum energy (≥10× expected energy absorption)

Verify pendulum alignment, support jaws, and striking edge

Calibrate energy losses (friction, air resistance)

Mounting: Place specimen on supports with notch facing away from the striker (for notched specimens)

Testing:

Raise pendulum to starting position and lock

Release pendulum and record rebound angle/height

Inspect specimen for fracture mode (complete, partial, or no fracture)

Calculation:

Impact energy = Initial energy - Final energy - friction losses

Impact strength = Energy / cross-sectional area (adjusted for notched specimens)

Reporting: Include material ID, specimen details, test conditions, energy values, impact strength, and fracture appearance

Test Application of ISO 179 (Industry Fields)

Automotive: Bumpers, interior trim, dashboard components, exterior body parts

Electronics: Housings for appliances, mobile devices, electrical enclosures

Construction: Pipes, fittings, window profiles, insulation materials

Packaging: Rigid containers, caps, closures, protective cases

Aerospace: Interior cabin components, structural elements

Medical Devices: Sterile packaging, device housings, surgical instruments

Consumer Goods: Toys, furniture parts, sports equipment, kitchenware

The test is particularly valuable for material selection, quality control, and product development of rigid thermoplastics and thermosets (including filled and reinforced grades).

Related Test standard:

Standard	Relationship
ISO 179-2:2020	Part 2: Instrumented impact test (measures force-time/deflection curves)
ISO 13802	Specifies pendulum impact tester requirements
ISO 2818	Specifies specimen preparation for plastic sheets
ASTM D6110	Equivalent American standard for Charpy impact testing of plastics
ISO 180	Izod impact test (alternative specimen mounting: cantilever beam)
ASTM D256	Standard Test Methods for Determining the Izod Pendulum Impact Resistance of Plastics

Introduction to ISO 179-2: The Instrumented Charpy Impact Test

Traditional impact testing (like ISO 179-1) as simply checking whether a plastic part "breaks" or "doesn't break," then ISO 179-2 is the advanced, high-definition version that tells you exactly how and why it breaks.

Plastics -- Determination of Charpy impact properties -- Part 2: Instrumented impact test elevates the simple go/no-go pendulum test into a sophisticated data-gathering mission. By equipping the striker with ultra-sensitive sensors, it captures the invisible forces at play during the few milliseconds of an impact. It generates a complete force-time or force-deflection curve, giving engineers an X-ray vision into the material's toughness.

ISO 179-2 defines dynamic mechanical behavior, a fully instrumented pendulum impact test where a strain-gauged or piezoelectric instrumented striker records the force-time or force-deflection curve during impact.

This allows calculation of:

Total impact energy (same as ISO 179-1)

Maximum impact force (Fₘ)

Yield force (Fᵧ) and yield energy (Wᵧ)

Post-yield energy (Wₚᵧ) and fracture energy (Wբ)

Dynamic stiffness and fracture toughness parameters

The method is used when detailed impact behavior characterization is required, complementing the pass/fail or total energy data from ISO 179-1.

ISO 179-2 need equipment of:

1, Instrumented Pendulum Tester,

2, Instrumented Striker: Strain-gauged or piezoelectric load cell near striking edge; radius 2mm ± 0.1mm Measures dynamic force during impact

3, Force Measurement System: Accuracy: ±1% of maximum force (Fₘ); natural frequency (fₙ) ≥ 3× specimen resonance frequency Captures high-speed dynamic events

4, Data Acquisition System: Sampling rate ≥ 100kHz; resolution ≥ 12 bits

Charpy Impact is a single point test that measures a materials resistance to impact from a swinging pendulum. Charpy impact is defined as the kinetic energy needed to initiate fracture and continue the fracture until the specimen is broken. The values obtained can be used for quality control or to differentiate general.

QK-20 notch sample reparation machine is used to process the non-metal material impact test specimen notch, such as the plastics, organic glass etc., it’s an ideal notching machine for plastic impact test. Surface with nickle coating, more reliable.

ZQK-20A Sample preparation notch machine for impact tester is used to process the non-metal material impact test specimen, such as the plastics, organic glass etc., The equipment uses electric drive and is equipped with specialized cutting tools, allowing for fast and precise processing of standard-compliant specimen notches.

Q1. Why is the ISO 179-1 test important?

A: The test is critical for:

Material characterization: Investigating how plastics behave under sudden impact (e.g., brittle vs. tough fracture).

Quality control: Comparing batches of the same material or evaluating alternatives.

Specialized applications: Assessing materials prone to interlaminar shear fracture(e.g., long-fiber composites) or surface effects(e.g., environmental degradation)—it has a broader range of applicability than ISO 180 (Izod test).

Research: Providing insights into notch sensitivity (via Types A/B/C notches) or anisotropy (via directional sampling).

Q2. What are the main test specimen types and dimensions?

A: Specimens are categorized by type (shape/dimensions) and notch type (A/B/C or unnotched):

Specimen Type	Dimensions (mm)	Use Case
Type 1 (preferred)	Length: 80±2; Width: 10.0±0.2; Thickness: 4.0±0.2; Span: 62+0.5	Most materials (moulding/extrusion compounds, sheets)
Type 2	Length: 25h; Width: 10 (fine structure) or 15 (large stitch); Span: 20h	Materials with interlaminar shear fracture (e.g., long-fiber composites)
Type 3	Length: 11h/13h; Thickness: 3 (up to 10.2mm); Span: 6h/8h	Same as Type 2 (shear/tensile failure study)

Notch Types:

Type A: Tip radius = 0.25±0.05mm (preferred for most materials).
Type B: Tip radius = 1.00±0.05mm (for notch sensitivity studies).
Type C: Tip radius = 0.10±0.02mm (used if Type A fails to break).
Unnotched: For surface effect studies (flatwise impact).

Q3: What is the key difference between ISO 179-1 and ISO 179-2?

A: ISO 179-1 is a non-instrumented test that only gives total absorbed impact energy. ISO 179-2 is instrumented, recording force-time/deflection curves to analyze yield force, fracture process, and dynamic behavior in detail.

Q4: Can ISO 179-1 be used for fiber-reinforced or filled plastics?

A: Yes. It is widely applied to unreinforced, glass-fiber reinforced, mineral-filled, and modified thermoplastics/thermosets. However, fiber orientation and filler distribution may affect result repeatability.

Q5: What does a low Charpy impact strength value mean?

A: A low value indicates the material is brittle and prone to sudden fracture under impact. Such materials are not suitable for impact-prone products like automotive parts, tool housings, or children’s toys.

Q6: Why do test results differ for the same material?

A: Variations can come from: specimen machining quality (notch roughness, dimensional error), inconsistent conditioning, improper specimen placement, tester calibration deviation, or material internal defects.

Q7: Is impact velocity controlled in ISO 179-1?

A: Yes. The standard impact velocity is either 2.9 ± 0.15 m/s or 3.8 ± 0.2 m/s, ensuring consistent high-strain-rate loading conditions.

We offer customization to meet your specific needs. Our expert team will collaborate with you to develop the perfect product for you

ISO 179-1, ISO 179-2 Plastics test of Charpy impact properties