ASTM D1622 Rigid Cellular Plastic Apparent Density Test

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ASTM D1622 Rigid Cellular Plastics Apparent Density Tester | UnitedTest

ASTM D1622 outlines test methods for apparent overall density and apparent core density of rigid cellular plastics, covering mould-skinned foam and spray-applied rigid foam. UnitedTest manufactures ASTM D1622 compliant density testing machines for rigid foam quality control.

ASTM D1622 is a standard laboratory test method for measuring apparent density of rigid cellular plastics, also known as rigid foams. It specifies two key density measurements: apparent overall density which includes mould-formed outer skins on foam samples, and apparent core density tested after removing all manufacturing-generated surface skins.

This standard shares equivalence with ISO 845, but ASTM D1622 exclusively targets rigid cellular plastics rather than flexible cellular rubbers. It also includes dedicated test provisions for spray-applied foam materials. The test data supports material formulation verification, incoming inspection, production monitoring and final product certification for rigid foam products across multiple industries.

UnitedTest develops and manufactures high-precision ASTM D1622 rigid cellular plastics apparent density testing machines. Our testing equipment delivers repeatable density measurement results and fully meets ASTM D1622 requirements for foam laboratories and foam manufacturing quality control.

Test Principle

Apparent density of a rigid cellular plastic is calculated from specimen mass and external volume:

D=W/V

where

D= apparent density, kg/m³ (lb/ft³ optionally)

W = specimen mass, kg

V = specimen external volume, m³

“Apparent” means the volume includes gas‑filled cells/voids; it is not the solid‑polymer density. The standard distinguishes:

Apparent overall density – includes all forming skins from moulding/extrusion/spraying.
Apparent core density – all forming skins removed; characterizes the cellular interior only.

If the material has no forming skin, “overall density” is not applicable; report core density only.

Test Specimen Requirements

Shape – any shape whose volume can be readily calculated: cube, rectangular prism, cylinder, regular block/board piece.
Minimum volume – 16.4 cm³ (1.0 in³) per specimen.
Number of specimens – minimum 3 separate specimens when cutting from a larger sample; take them from locations distributed throughout the sample. A single whole object may be tested as one specimen if its mass/volume can be measured accurately.
Skin handling:

Overall density: specimen must include the same proportion of forming skin as the original product.
Core density: remove all forming skins before measuring/cutting.

Spray foam specimens – spray onto primed plywood (approximately 0.95 cm × 63.5 cm × 63.5 cm or 0.375 × 25 × 25 in). First layer minimum 1.27 cm (0.5 in); wait ≥5 min; second layer minimum 3.8 cm (1.5 in). Cut about 2.54 cm (1 in) thick from the second layer. For core, remove bottom layer and top skin; for overall, include the forming skin. Spray compounds at 20–24 °C unless otherwise agreed.

Equipment required for ASTM D1622 Rigid Cellular Plastic Apparent Density Test

Balance

Capable of weighing specimens to ± 0.1 % accuracy of specimen weight.

ISO 845 Cellular Plastics

Dimension‑measuring instruments

micrometer dial gauge, caliper, or steel rule; measurement accuracy ± 0.1 %. Measuring foot minimum contact area: 6.5 cm².

Controlled contact pressure shall be 2.7±0.7kPa; reduce pressure if contact causes indentation on foam surfaces. Steel rule shall not be used for dimensions below 25 mm.

Auxiliary items

cutting tools (avoid compressing foam cell structure), environmental conditioning chamber complying with ASTM D618.

Key Test Parameters & Stipulations

- Minimum specimen volume: 16.4 cm³; minimum specimen number: 3 pieces.

- Weighing accuracy requirement: ± 0.1 %; dimensional‑measurement accuracy: ± 0.1 %.

- Gauge‑foot contact pressure: 2.7±0.7kPa, adjust if indentation occurs.

- Calculation output: density to three significant figures; standard deviation to two significant figures.

- Precision data originates from historical inter‑laboratory round‑robin for rigid foams only; precision for spray‑foam has not been determined. Reported within‑laboratory relative reproducibility can be around 1 %‑3 %, between‑laboratory variation can go up to ~15 % for low‑density rigid foams.

- Material‑specific product specifications override default‑method parameters.

Details Test Procedures of ASTM D1622 Rigid Cellular Plastic Apparent Density Test

Specimen conditioning: Condition specimens for at least 40 h under required temperature‑humidity atmosphere.
Weighing: Weigh each conditioned specimen on the balance, achieve weighing precision of ± 0.1 % of specimen weight, record weight value.
Dimension measurement: Measure each geometric dimension. Normally take three readings per dimension. Reduce measurement count is allowed only when cross‑section and specimen‑length limits defined in the standard are satisfied. Maintain controlled measuring‑foot pressure to prevent foam indentation/compression. Calculate mean dimension values and compute specimen volume.
Density calculation: Compute individual‑specimen density using D=W/V. Report density to three significant figures. Apply buoyancy correction for fresh closed‑cell foams when needed.
Statistical calculation: Compute estimated standard deviation of measured‑density dataset and report standard deviation to two significant figures.
Compile test report: Record all mandatory report items defined in clause 11 of ASTM D1622‑20.

Industrial Application Fields

ASTM D1622‑20 applies exclusively for rigid cellular plastics. Major‑end‑use industries:

Building & construction: rigid thermal‑insulation foams (XPS, EPS, rigid PU spray foam, phenolic foam boards).
Cold‑chain / refrigeration: rigid foam insulation panels for cold storage equipment.
Transportation: rigid structural foam parts used in vehicle interiors and transport containers.
Packaging: high‑strength rigid protective foam packaging.
Spray‑foam contracting industry: quality verification for on‑site sprayed polyurethane foam insulation.

Note: This standard does not cover flexible cellular rubbers or flexible foams, unlike ISO 845.

Related standard:

ISO 845	Cellular plastics and rubbers - Determination of apparent density
GB/T 6343	Cellular plastics and rubbers - Determination of apparent density
ASTM D1622	Standard Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid Cellular Plastics
ISO 1183-2	Plastics. Methods for determining the density of non-cellular plastics-Density gradient column method
JIS K 7112	Plastics -- Methods of determining the density and relative density of non-cellular plastics
ASTM D3574	flexible cellular urethane foams, includes density among broader foam properties.

Importance of the ASTM D1622 Rigid Cellular Plastic Apparent Density Test

1. Apparent density is the foundational performance indicator for rigid foams. It directly correlates with thermal‑insulation efficiency, compressive strength, dimensional stability, water‑absorption tendency, and material cost. Lower‑density rigid foam gives better thermal performance but reduced mechanical strength; higher‑density foam delivers higher structural robustness with greater material weight and expense.

2. Separating apparent‑overall‑density (with skin) and apparent‑core‑density (skin‑removed) eliminates measurement bias from hard dense surface skins formed during moulding or spraying, enabling correct evaluation of intrinsic foam‑matrix properties.

3. Offers unified North‑American standardised procedure for rigid‑foam QC, incoming‑material inspection, product‑certification, R&D formulation tuning, and contract‑acceptance testing, supporting consistent results within‑lab and across independent laboratories.

4. Critical for spray‑foam industry: the standard includes dedicated specimen‑preparation rules for sprayed‑on‑site foam materials widely used in building‑envelope insulation projects.

5. Serves as baseline density‑test requirement referenced in many rigid‑foam product specifications for construction and refrigeration markets in North‑America.

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Q1: What is ASTM D1622‑20 test used for?

A1: ASTM D1622‑20 measures apparent overall density and apparent core density for rigid cellular plastics (rigid foams). Apparent overall density keeps manufacturing‑formed surface skins intact; apparent core density removes all outer skins to test the inner foam matrix. This standard also includes dedicated specimen‑preparation rules for spray‑applied rigid foam materials. It only applies to rigid cellular plastics, not flexible foams or cellular rubbers.

Q2: Why is ASTM D1622 apparent density test important for rigid cellular plastics?

A2: Apparent density is the core fundamental performance indicator for rigid foams. It directly determines thermal insulation performance, compressive strength, dimensional stability, water absorption behaviour and raw‑material cost. Lower‑density rigid foam delivers better thermal insulation but lower mechanical strength; higher‑density foam provides stronger load‑bearing performance with higher weight and material cost. Distinguishing overall‑density and core‑density eliminates measurement error caused by hard dense mould‑formed skins. The standard provides unified North‑American test protocol for quality control, incoming‑material inspection, R&D formulation tuning, and contract acceptance testing for building insulation, refrigeration and spray‑foam projects.

Q3: What is the difference between apparent overall density and apparent core density in ASTM D1622‑20?

A3: ‑Apparent overall density: Density value of specimen including manufacturing‑generated outer skins. When cutting specimens from bulk rigid foam blocks, the skin‑area‑to‑volume ratio of test specimens must match the original sample. ‑Apparent core density: Density value measured after completely trimming away all forming skins, reflecting intrinsic property of foam core material. If the foam product has no mould‑formed skin, the term “apparent overall density” is not applicable.

Q4: How many specimens are required for ASTM D1622‑20? What is the specimen volume requirement?

A4: Minimum 3 valid specimens for each test group. Each specimen shall have minimum volume 16.4 cm³ (1.0 in³). Specimens shall be regular‑shaped for easy volume calculation; cutting shall avoid compressing or damaging foam cell structure. A complete finished foam product can be used as a single test sample if its weight and volume can be measured precisely. Specimens must be sampled from different distributed positions across the parent foam block.

Q5: What standards are related to ASTM D1622‑20? What is its relation with ISO 845?

A5: ‑Referenced ASTM standards: ASTM D618 (conditioning practice), ASTM D883 (plastics terminology), ASTM E456 (statistics terminology), ASTM E691 (inter‑laboratory test study). ‑ISO 845:2006 is stated technically equivalent standard. Key differences: ASTM D1622‑20 covers only rigid cellular plastics and includes spray‑foam guidance, minimum 3 specimens, ≥16.4 cm³ volume, 40 h conditioning. ISO 845 covers cellular plastics AND rubbers, requires minimum 5 specimens, ≥100 cm³ volume, 72 h post‑manufacture waiting time before cutting specimens.

Q6: What special rules apply for spray foam testing under ASTM D1622‑20?

A6: Spray‑foam test specimens shall be prepared by double‑layer spraying onto qualified substrate. Test specimens are cut from the second sprayed foam layer. Remove top‑and‑bottom skins for core‑density testing; retain forming skins intact for overall‑density testing. Note: inter‑laboratory precision data for spray‑foam is not established in this standard.

Q7: What common mistakes cause unreliable ASTM D1622‑20 test results?

A7:

Measuring‑foot pressure too high, compressing foam specimen and distorting dimension readings.
Specimen volume smaller than 16.4 cm³ or less than 3 specimens tested.
Insufficient conditioning time, moisture content changes affect specimen weight.
Skin‑area‑to‑volume ratio mismatch when testing apparent overall density.
Ignoring buoyancy correction for fresh closed‑cell rigid foam.
Too‑few dimension readings (normally minimum three readings per dimension).
Steel‑rule used for dimension measurement below 25 mm, causing large dimensional error.

Q8: Why choose ASTM D1622 rigid foam density testers, analytical density balance, Rigid Cellular Plastic Apparent Density Testing Machines from UnitedTest?

A8: UnitedTest is professional manufacturer of ASTM D1622‑20 apparent density test machine for rigid cellular plastics. Our foam density testing system complies with ASTM D1622‑20, supports apparent overall density & apparent core‑density measurement for rigid foams and spray‑applied foam, for lab QC, R&D and third‑party inspection.

UnitedTest develops and manufactures complete laboratory testing solutions complying with ASTM D1622‑20 Standard Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid Cellular Plastics. Our integrated rigid‑foam apparent‑density test system serves foam manufacturers, building‑insulation factories, spray‑foam contractors, cold‑storage equipment producers and material‑testing laboratories for North‑American market compliance testing.

Our ASTM D1622‑20 test set‑up combines high‑precision analytical balance, calibrated dimension‑measuring module with controlled‑pressure measuring foot (meets 2.7±0.7kPa contact‑pressure requirement), specimen‑cutting accessories and intelligent data‑processing software. The instrument supports both apparent overall density (with skins) and apparent core‑density (skins removed) testing, includes built‑in air‑buoyancy correction calculation for fresh closed‑cell rigid foam, and auto‑generates test‑report templates matching ASTM D1622‑20 reporting requirements.

This test machine works for XPS, EPS, rigid polyurethane foam, phenolic foam, spray‑applied PU foam and other rigid cellular plastic materials. It also supports parallel reference testing against equivalent international standard ISO 845:2006.

As an experienced material‑testing‑equipment manufacturer, UnitedTest supplies standard ASTM D1622 density‑testing kits, and offers custom configuration for different specimen‑size ranges, laboratory environment and customer reporting formats. Global customers benefit from complete service package including installation guidance, operation training, instrument calibration support and long‑term technical after‑sales support.

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