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ASTM D1876 T-Peel Resistance Test of Adhesives

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ASTM D1876: Standard Test Method for Peel Resistance of Adhesives (T-Peel Test)


ASTM D1876 test method is primarily intended for determining the relative peel resistance of adhesive bonds between flexible adherends by means of a T-type specimen using a tension testing machine. The bent, unbonded ends of the test specimen shall be clamped in the test grips of the tension testing machine and a load of a constant head speed shall be applied. An autographic recording of the load versus the head movement or load versus distance peeled shall be made. The peel resistance over a specified length of the bond line after the initial peak shall be determined.


Procedure

According to ASTM D1876, the test specimen’s bent, unbonded ends are gripped in the tension testing machine’s test grips. A steady head speed of 254 mm (10 in.)/min attaches the load. The bond will separate at 127 mm (5 in.) per minute at this speed. The peel test records an autographic plot of load versus head movement or load versus distance peeled. Then, the peel resistance of the bond line is determined over at least 127 mm (5 inches) of length after the initial peak.

ASTM D1876 T-Peel Resistance Test of AdhesivesASTM D1876 T-Peel Resistance Test of Adhesives


Sample size

The following are the technical specifications of the T-Peel Test:

Sample size Each sample should be 25 mm (1 inch) wide and at least 200 mm (8 inches) long.

Test at least five bonded specimens to account for variability.

Sample length Ensure a minimum bond overlap of 150 mm (6 inches) to maintain consistency.


Result

The primary result of the T-Peel Test is the average peel force required to separate the bonded substrates, which reflects the adhesive’s peel resistance.

Related Standard

ISO 11339 T-peel test for Adhesives

ISO 11339 Adhesives — T-peel test for flexible-to-flexible bonded assemblies.


It specifies a T‑peel test for the determination of the peel resistance of an adhesive by measuring the peeling force of a T‑shaped bonded assembly of two flexible adherends.  The ISO 11339 test method is suitable for self-adhesive tapes that are prepared under the relevant guidelines within this test standard. For a T-peel test for a flexible-to-flexible assembly, the force is applied to the unbonded ends of the specimen . The angle between the bond line and the direction of the applied force is not fixed. 

ASTM D1876 T-Peel Resistance Test of Adhesives

ASTM D1876: Standard Test Method for Peel Resistance of Adhesives (T-Peel Test)


ASTM D1876 test method is primarily intended for determining the relative peel resistance of adhesive bonds between flexible adherends by means of a T-type specimen using a tension testing machine. The bent, unbonded ends of the test specimen shall be clamped in the test grips of the tension testing machine and a load of a constant head speed shall be applied. An autographic recording of the load versus the head movement or load versus distance peeled shall be made. The peel resistance over a specified length of the bond line after the initial peak shall be determined.

ASTM D3167 Peel Resistance Adhesives Test - Floating Roller

ASTM D3167 Peel Resistance Adhesives Test - Floating Roller


ASTM D3167 Floating Roller Peeling test method covers the determination of the relative peel resistance of adhesive bonds between one rigid adherend and one flexible adherend when tested under specified conditions of preparation and testing.


ISO 8510-2 Adhesives 180 degree peel test for flexible-bonded-to-rigid test specimen assembly

ISO 8510-2: Adhesives — Peel test for a flexible-bonded-to-rigid test specimen assembly Part 2: 180° peel.


ISO 8510-2 specifies the 180-degree peel adhesion test for evaluating the adhesive peel strength of bonded materials. This standard is essential in industries such as packaging, medical devices, electronics, and adhesives, where strong and reliable adhesion is crucial. The test provides critical insights into the performance and durability of adhesives by measuring the force required to separate a flexible adherend from a rigid adherend under controlled conditions.


Testing Procedure: 

The rigid adherend is clamped into the machine’s fixed grip.

The flexible adherend is clamped into a self-aligning grip.

The machine applies force parallel to the bonded plane, pulling the flexible adherend at a 180-degree angle.

ISO 29862 Tape adhesion peeling test, Self adhesive tapes

ISO 29862 tape adhesion test, Self adhesive tapes - determination of peel adhesion

ISO 29862 specifies a series of methods for the determination of peel adhesion properties of self adhesives tapes.


ISO 29862 test methods include:

—     Method 1: Self adhesive tapes – Measurement of peel adhesion from stainless steel at an angle of 180°;

—     Method 2: Self adhesive tapes – Measurement of peel adhesion from its own backing at an angle of 180°;

—     Method 3: Self adhesive tapes – Measurement of peel adhesion of double-sided and transfer tapes at an angle 180°;

—     Method 4: Self adhesive tapes – Measurement of adhesion of the liner to an adhesive tape at an angle of 180°.

Complete guide of T-Peel Test for Adhesives ASTM D1876

The T-peel test is a standardized testing method used to evaluate the adhesive strength between two flexible materials. This method involves vertically fixing the ends of a specimen to a tensile testing machine and applying a peeling force at a constant speed to determine the force required to separate the adhesive from the substrate interface. The test results are expressed as the average peeling force per unit width. 

According to standards such as ASTM D1876 and GB/T 2791-1995, this method is applicable to flexible materials including composite films, pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes, and automotive interior bonding components. Testing parameters include a separation rate of 100 ± 10 mm/min, a minimum peeling length of 125 mm, and laboratories need to be equipped with universal materials testing machines and specialized fixtures to perform standardized operating procedures.


Test standard:

ASTM D1876: Standard Test Method for Peel Resistance of Adhesives (T-Peel Test)

ISO 8510-2: Adhesives — Peel test for a flexible-bonded-to-rigid test specimen assembly — Part 2: 180° peel

ISO 11339: Adhesives — T-peel test for flexible-to-flexible bonded assemblies

DIN EN 28510-2: Adhesives; peel test for a flexible-bonded-to-rigid test specimen assembly; part 2: 180° peel (ISO 8510-2:1990); 

GB/T 2790: Adhesives,180° peel strength test method for a flexible-bonded-to-rigid test specimen assembly

GB/T 2791: Adhesives,T peel strengthtest method for a flexible-to-flexible test specimen assembly

Application fields:bonding/coating/sealing and other industrial fields
Test subjectadhesive samples for bonding flexible materials to flexible materials
Key equipment to useuniversal material testing machine, tensile testing machine
Test parameters100±10mm/min rate


Testing Principles and Methods 

Through the clamping of samples to form a T-shaped structure, a vertical separation force is applied to the adhesive interface using a testing machine. When two pieces of bonded flexible materials (typically 0.05mm thick metal sheets or polymer films) are stretched, the peeling force is transmitted along the adhesive line and ultimately leads to interface separation. This method is applicable to bonding systems such as pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes with substrates and between composite film layers, and the average peel strength can be obtained through force-displacement curves.


Application Fields:

In the packaging industry, this method is used to evaluate the bonding reliability between food composite film layers, preventing delamination during storage. In the automotive manufacturing industry, T-type peel testing assesses the durability of interior materials and adhesives, while in the electronics sector, it is applied to quality monitoring of adhesive layers in flexible circuit boards. The GB/T 2792 standard implemented in 2015 standardized the testing rate to 300mm/min, and the updated testing regulations in 2025 introduced high-temperature/low-temperature peel stability testing.


Test Steps and Parameters

1. Sample preparation: Cut strip samples with a width of 25mm from the finished product, removing 12mm of non-uniform areas from the edges;

2. Equipment setup: Adjust the fixture spacing to 125mm and calibrate the load sensor of the testing machine;

3. Peeling process: Stretch at a rate of 100±10mm/min and automatically record the peeling force curve;

4. Data processing: Exclude the initial fluctuation data for the first 25mm and take the average force value over the middle 100mm interval.


Influencing Factors

For every 0.1mm increase in adhesive layer thickness, the peeling strength decreases by 15-20%. When the test temperature rises from 23°C to 60°C, the peeling strength of polyurethane adhesive decreases by 30-40%. If the sample width exceeds 30mm, edge effects may occur, leading to a measured data deviation of up to ±12%.


Result Processing and Analysis

The peeling strength calculation formula is: P = F/b (P is the peeling strength, F is the average force value, b is the sample width). A dynamic mechanical analyzer can assist in observing the microscopic failure modes at the adhesive interface, and scanning electron microscope images can reveal the morphological differences between cohesive failure within the adhesive layer and interfacial peeling. According to industry statistics from 2025, the repeatability error of this method in composite film testing is ≤5.3%.


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