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ASTM D5458 Peel Cling Test of Stretch Wrap Film

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ASTM D5458 Standard Test Method for Peel Cling of Stretch Wrap Film

ASTM D5458 defines a peel cling procedure to quantify the "cling" — the ability of a stretch wrap film to adhere to itself — between two layers of film, measured both in an unstretched and a stretched condition. Self-adhesion (cling) between two stretch wrap film layers under both stretched and unstretched states, using a constant-rate peel test on a universal testing machine (UTM) with dedicated inclined cling fixtures. 


Test Principle of ASTM D5458:

The test relies on a controlled peel separation mechanism to measure self-cling force of stretch film:

A large base film layer is fixed on an inclined metal fixture, pre-stretched to target elongation percentage (or kept unstretched) to simulate real pallet wrapping tension.

A narrow 1 in (25.4 mm) wide film strip is laminated flat onto the surface of the pre-stretched base film, with all trapped air eliminated by standardized brushing to form uniform self-contact.

The free end of the narrow strip is connected to the moving crosshead of a constant-speed UTM via non-elastic string.

The machine pulls the strip vertically upward at a fixed constant rate to peel it off the inclined base film.

A high-sensitivity 500 g load cell continuously records the peel resistance force, which is converted into standardized cling strength (force per unit film width) as the core test result.

Key defined term: Cling = the inherent property of a plastic film to adhere to its own surface without external adhesive. Stretch wrap material means extensible overwrap film that conforms to goods via elastic recovery after tension application.


Test machine and fixture required for ASTM D5035 fabric tensile test:

Tensile testing machine 

With constant grip separation crosshead speed; Load capacity large than 10N.  

Include lightweight upper jaw with flat rubber-faced grips (1 × 1.5 in / 25 × 38 mm)

Peel cling clamp fixture

inclined plane, base plate, pulley, mounting stud, toggle clamp. 

Boston clip with cork stabilizing pads 

ASTM D5458 Peel Cling Test of Stretch Wrap Film

Sample Cutting & Auxiliary Tools

Picture-frame sample template: inner dimension 5 × 20 in (125 × 500 mm)

Precision sample cutter: fixed width 1 ± 0.001 in (25.4 ± 0.03 mm) for uniform peel strips

Single-edge safety razor blade

2 in (50 mm) wide synthetic bristle paint brush (for removing air between film layers)

12 in (300 mm) measuring ruler

Separation bond paper: 8.5 × 12 in, used to sandwich film and avoid surface contamination

Non-elastic string (≈24 in / 610 mm, dental floss or fishing line)

Steel rod: 0.25 in (6 mm) diameter, 10 in (255 mm) long (to tension base film for pre-stretch)

Glass cutting plate: 36 × 36 in (900 × 900 mm), 0.25 in thick flat glass for wrinkle-free sample preparation.


Test Specimen Information: 

Two matching film pieces from the same roll/batch are required for each test replicate:

Large base film sheet: cut with paper sandwich protection via template, placed on the incline fixture for pre-stretching.

Peel strip: precisely 1 in (25.4 mm) wide narrow film strip, the component peeled during testing.

Separation paper sandwiches (paper/film/paper) are used during cutting to shield both film surfaces from scratches and fingerprints.

Label each specimen with roll location and designated "outside" film surface (the contact layer for cling measurement).


Key Test Parameters & Stipulations

Crosshead speed5 in./min (125 mm/min)
Strip width1 in. (25.4 mm)
Pre-stretch percentage

adjustable target elongation (50% and other stretch ratios specified in the standard) to simulate real wrapping tension;

mark stretch distance on the incline surface for consistent elongation control.

Peel length measured1.0 in. cling zone (at horizontal "cling line").
ReplicatesMinimum 3 identical test runs per film batch; average all replicate forces for final cling value.
Contact preparation standardThree uniform brush strokes with moderate pressure along the 1 in strip to fully expel air bubbles between film layers.
Reporting unitsgf/in (industry convention) or N/mm (SI); conversion allowed.
Brushing protocol3 strokes with moderate pressure is mandatory to expel air and ensure contact.


Details ASTM D5485 Peel Cling Test procedures: 

1, Secure the large base film sample on the inclined fixture, fix its bottom end with the steel rod to apply targeted pre-stretch per required elongation percentage, mark stretch positions on incline edges.

2, Prepare the 1 in wide paper-film-paper peel strip; slide paper aside to expose 0.5 in of clean film contact area.

3, Lay the exposed peel strip section flat on the top of the pre-stretched base film (outside surface facing down for self-contact), align the remaining paper-backed strip within parallel guide lines on the incline.

4, Brush the exposed film contact end with moderate pressure to initial adhesion; slowly peel away separating paper to form a wrinkle-free full contact interface.

5, Apply three even brush strokes over the entire 1 in strip length to eliminate trapped air and create uniform self-cling contact.

6, Attach the free end of the peel strip to the fixture’s non-elastic string/clamp assembly connected to the UTM upper jaw.

7, Initiate crosshead upward travel at 5 in/min constant speed to peel the narrow strip vertically off the inclined base film.

8, Record the continuous peel force curve and average peel resistance force during stable peeling.

9, Repeat all preparation and test steps for at least three replicate specimens per film grade.

10, Calculate average cling value and standard deviation from replicate data.


Target Industry Application Fields

ASTM D5458 exclusively serves the flexible packaging and logistics unitization industry:

Pallet stretch wrap manufacturing (LLDPE stretch film, hand wrap, machine stretch film, blown/cast stretch film)

Packaging material R&D labs for film formulation development (adjusting cling additive masterbatch content)

Factory quality control (incoming raw film inspection, finished product batch release testing)

Third-party packaging testing laboratories for supplier-buyer performance verification

Warehousing, logistics, freight and retail distribution sectors to qualify load-securing wrapping materials

Plastic resin and additive manufacturers developing cling-enhancing agents for stretch films.


Referenced Related Standards

ASTM D5458Standard Test Method for Peel Cling of Stretch Wrap Film
ASTM D882Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting
ASTM D1004Standard Test Method for Tear Resistance (Graves Tear) of Plastic Film and Sheeting
ASTM D5459Standard Test Method for Machine Direction Elastic Recovery and Permanent Deformation and Stress Retention of Stretch Wrap Film
ASTM D5748Standard Test Method for Protrusion Puncture Resistance of Stretch Wrap Film
ASTM D4332Practice for Conditioning Containers, Packages, or Packaging Components for Testing


Related products and device

ASTM D5458 Stretch wrap films Peel Cling Test tensile testing machine

A single column tensile tester is a sophisticated material testing instrument designed for measuring mechanical properties of various materials under tension, compression, bending, shear, and other loading conditions. As the name suggests, it features a single vertical column supporting a moving crosshead that applies force to test specimens.

ASTM D5458 Peel Cling Test Fixture of stretch wrap films

Peel cling fixture is fully engineered to comply with ASTM D5458 Standard Test Method for Peel Cling of Stretch Wrap Film, the global authoritative testing standard for self-adhesion (cling) performance of PE stretch wrap, pallet wrapping film, food cling film and hand stretch film.

Related Standard

ISO 527-3 Tensile Test on Plastic Film

ISO 527-3 Plastics - TENSILE PROPERTIES - PART 3: FOR FILMS AND SHEETS

ISO 527-3 is a common international standard that is used to determine the tensile properties of plastic film or sheeting - a plastic test specimen with a thickness less than 1 mm. The tensile properties include tensile strength, yield strength, yield strain, strain at break, and in some cases Young's Modulus. Due to the flexible, delicate nature of these plastic specimens, both gripping and strain measurement can be a challenge.


ISO 527-3 Tensile Test of Plastic Thin Film Sheet

It covers the specimen preparation requirements of thin plastic sheets and films. Thin plastic specimens created with the practices of ISO 527-3 are tensile tested with the practices of ISO 527-1. Thin plastic specimens created in accordance with ISO 527-3 are cut, or punched from a sheet of thin plastic. ISO 527-3 specifies that thin plastic film of sheet specimens must be free from cracks or scratches that will affect the tensile test. ISO 527-3 allows for four specimen geometries that can be used for tensile testing. There are three acceptable dogbone shaped specimens that are acceptable. Specimen created following ISO 527-3 can be used to determine the tensile properties of thin plastic sheets and films including the tensile modulus of elasticity and the tensile energy to break (TEB).


ASTM D5748 Stretch Wrap Film Puncture Resistance Test

ASTM D5748 determine the resistance of stretch wrap / stretch film to penetration by a probe under a controlled, low-rate (quasi-static) single-velocity condition, while the film is clamped so it develops biaxial stress — the stress state most representative of real-world end use.

ASTM D1894 coefficient of friction plastic film

ASTM D1894 quantifies surface slip resistance of plastic films and thin sheets sliding against identical film, metal, glass or other flat substrates, generating empirical friction data for production quality control and material performance evaluation. Test static (starting) and kinetic (continuous sliding) friction coefficients of plastic film & thin sheeting; primary for flexible packaging materials.

ASTM D1709 Falling Dart Impact Resistance of Plastic Film

ASTM D1709: Standard Test Methods for Impact Resistance of Plastic Film by the Free-Falling Dart Method


ASTM D1709 test methods cover the determination of the energy that causes plastic film to fail under specified conditions of impact of a free-falling dart. This energy is expressed in terms of the weight (mass) of the missile falling from a specified height which would result in 50 % failure of specimens tested.

ASTM F1306 Penetration Test of Flexible Barrier Films and Laminates

ASTM F1306 Slow Rate Penetration Resistance of Flexible Barrier Films and Laminates


ASTM F1306 describes a method with very similar objectives for measurement of flexible barrier films and laminates. It uses an indenter with a tip radius of 1.6 mm and a conical shaft with a 6° angle. The test is performed on a film strip, which is fastened over an opening with a 35 mm diameter.

ASTM D1004 Tear Resistance (Graves Tear) of Plastic Film and Sheeting

ASTM D1004: Standard Test Method for Tear Resistance (Graves Tear) of Plastic Film and Sheeting


ASTM D1004 is a test method that determines the tear strength of flexible plastic film and sheeting at very low rates of loading using a constant-rate-of crosshead-movement type tensile testing machine. Tearing is produced in a small area of stress concentration of the plastic film or sheeting specimen at controlled speeds below the rate encountered in real world applications in order to produce the most reliable data, which can be used to compare and analyze the tear resistance. Actual use of performance in tearing of certain plastics may not necessarily corralate with the data acquired from this test method. The specimen geometry of this test method produces a stress concentration in a small area of the specimen. The maximum stress, usually found near the onset of tearing, is recorded as the tear resistance in newtons (or pounds-force). The method is not applicable for film or sheeting material where brittle failures occur during testing or where maximum extension is greater than 101.6 mm (4 in.).

ISO 304 Surface tension test by drawing up liquid films, surface active agents

ISO 304:1985 Surface active agents — Determination of surface tension by drawing up liquid films

The maximum force is measured which is necessary to act vertically on a stirrup or a ring, in contact with the surface of the liquid being examined placed in a measuring cup, in order to separate it from this surface, or on a plate with an edge in contact with the surface, in order to draw up the film that has formed. The surface tension of pure liquids or other solutions can also be measured by this method.

ASTM D1922 Elmendorf Tear Test for plastic films and thin sheeting tear resistance

ASTM D1922: Standard Test Method for Propagation Tear Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting by Pendulum Method.


ASTM D1922 test method covers the determination of the average force to propagate tearing through a specified length of plastic film or nonrigid sheeting after the tear has been started, using an Elmendorf-type tearing tester. Two specimens are cited, a rectangular type, and one with a constant radius testing length. The latter shall be the preferred or referee specimen.

FAQs for ASTM D5458 Peel Cling Test for Stretch Wrap Film

Q1: What exactly does ASTM D5458 measure?

A1: This standard quantitatively tests the self-cling property of stretch wrap film. It measures the peel force required to separate one layer of film from another under both stretched and unstretched conditions, simulating real pallet wrapping tension. Cling is the film’s natural ability to stick to itself without extra adhesive coatings.


Q2: Why is ASTM D5458 cling testing critical for stretch wrap materials?

A2:Load security: Adequate self-cling holds palletized loads tight during shipping, vibration, stacking and forklift handling. Low cling leads to loose film, shifting goods, cargo damage and workplace safety risks.

Uniform quality benchmark: It creates a globally agreed test method for film manufacturers, converters, logistics buyers and third-party labs to compare cling performance fairly, avoiding commercial disputes over film quality.

Formulation development tool: Producers adjust cling additives, LLDPE resin blends, film gauge and extrusion processes using D5458 results to balance cling, stretch recovery and film clarity.

Batch consistency control: Regular testing detects production drift caused by raw material fluctuations or machine parameter changes.

Real-world simulation: The standard tests multiple stretch percentages (e.g., 50%, 100% elongation) matching actual machine/hand wrapping tension, so lab data reflects field performance instead of static, unstrained film behavior.


Q3: What is the official standard unit for reporting cling results? Can I use N/mm instead?

A3: Inch-pound units are normative per the standard. The industry standard reporting unit is gram-force per inch width (gf/in). Newtons per millimeter (N/mm) is the acceptable SI equivalent for reference only, and a conversion between the two units is permitted for technical documentation.


Q4: Why do I need three brush strokes to remove air bubbles between film layers?

A4: Trapped air creates weak, uneven contact between the two film surfaces, which lowers measured peel force randomly and introduces large test deviation. Three uniform, moderate-pressure brush strokes along the full width of the 1-inch strip eliminates air pockets and forms a consistent self-adhesive contact surface required for repeatable results.


Q5: What sampling rules must I follow to get valid D5458 test data? Can I test only one roll of film?

A5:Remove at least three outer film wraps from the roll before cutting samples to discard contaminated surface layers.

Unwind film at a consistent 8 in/s (200 mm/s) to avoid stretch-induced streaks that alter cling performance.

Specimens must be taken from multiple rolls and multiple production batches when possible. Testing only one roll cannot support reliable conclusions about the overall film grade.

Statistical sample sizing guidance is found in ASTM E122; legacy acceptance sampling rules reference withdrawn ASTM D1898.


Q6: What crosshead speed is required on the universal testing machine (UTM) for this test?

A6: The UTM crosshead must run at a constant speed of 5 in (125 mm) per minute during peeling. Chart recording speed has no specified requirement and may be set freely. Deviating from this pull speed will drastically change measured peel force and invalidate comparison data.


Q7. What are the biggest sources of error in this test?

A7: Based on the precision data + practical experience:

SourceImpact
Touching the test surfaceFinger oils kill cling readings — handle via bond paper sandwiches
Inconsistent unwind speedSome films show "bars/stripes" if unwound too fast
Brushing techniqueMust be 3 strokes, moderate pressure — skip this and air entrapment biases low
Pre-stretch alignmentMarks must hit the incline top edge exactly, or % stretch is wrong
Conditioning skipped<24 h at std atmosphere → humidity/temp shift cling significantly


Q8: What warm-up rule applies to the UTM load cell before testing?

A8: After installing the 500 g load cell on the upper machine frame, a 15-minute warm-up period is required before calibration and testing to stabilize force readings and avoid signal drift.


Q9: How many replicate tests are required per film sample batch, and why?

A9: A minimum of three replicate specimens must be tested, then averaged for the final cling value. Stretch film cling performance naturally has minor variability from minor surface inconsistencies; averaging multiple replicates reduces random error and improves data reliability. The final report must also include the standard deviation of replicate results to show result scatter.


Q10: What stretch percentages does the standard cover, and why test stretched film instead of only flat, unstretched film?

A10: The standard supports testing at user-specified elongation levels (e.g., 50%, 100% stretch). Commercial pallet wrapping always applies tension to stretch film; stretching rearranges polymer chains and surface tack properties. Testing only unstretched film produces irrelevant data that does not reflect how the film performs during actual load wrapping.


Q11: What information must be included in a formal ASTM D5458 test report?

A11: Mandatory report items:

Any deviations from the written test procedure

Full sample identification: film nominal thickness (gauge), batch/roll origin

Stretch percentage applied during testing

Average cling strength (gf/in or N/mm)

Standard deviation calculated from replicate peel force values

Conditioning environment parameters and conditioning duration

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