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Transportation Industry

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Home >> Application >> By Standard >> ISO >> ISO 1 ~ 4999 >> ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5 are two key standards within the ISO 527 series for determining the tensile properties of fibre-reinforced plastic composites.

ISO 527-4 covers the general principles and tests for isotropic and orthotropic materials. ISO 527-5 provides specific procedures for testing unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites.

These standards are critically important because they provide a unified, reliable method to measure fundamental mechanical properties (like tensile strength, modulus, and strain) which are essential for material selection, quality control, structural design, and R&D in aerospace, automotive, wind energy, and sports equipment industries.

Test Principles:

The principle is to apply a uniaxial tensile force to a standardized specimen at a constant speed until failure. The force and the corresponding elongation (or strain) are recorded to calculate:

Tensile Strength: Maximum stress the material can withstand.

Tensile Modulus (Elastic Modulus): Stiffness of the material (slope of the initial linear portion of the stress-strain curve).

Poisson's Ratio (if strain gauges are used in multiple directions).

Stress and Strain at Break.

Test Methods of ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5 Composite tensile test:

ISO 527-4 (Isotropic & Orthotropic)

Focuses on multi-directional laminates (like woven fabrics). It often uses a single specimen type and provides methods to derive in-plane properties.

The analysis accounts for the orthotropic nature of the material.

ISO 527-5 (Unidirectional)

Specifically designed for unidirectional (UD) composites.

It defines separate specimen configurations and procedures for testing in:

0° direction: To measure fiber-dominated properties (high strength and modulus).

90° direction: To measure matrix-dominated and interfacial properties (lower strength and modulus).

This distinction is vital for characterizing the anisotropic behavior of UD materials.

Test Specimen information of ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5.

ISO 527-4 defines three types of specimens. Type 1B is a 'dog-bone' shaped specimen, suitable for testing short fiber reinforced materials with a thermoplastic matrix. Type 2 is a rectangular specimen with a constant cross-section, suitable for testing continuous fiber materials with thermosetting and thermoplastic matrices. Type 3 specimens are similar to type 2 specimens but have end tabs, which are common in composite testing to prevent the specimen from being damaged by the grips.

ISO 527-5 defines two types of test specimen, depending on the direction of test relative to the fibre direction. Type A is used for testing in direction parallel to the fibres with end tabs. Type B is used for testing in direction transverse to the fibres with end tabs.

ISO 527-4

Type 1B

Dumbbell

Overall Length ≥ 150mm, width end 20mm, width at narrow 10mm. Standard gauge 50mm. Thickness 2~10mm.

ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

Type 2

Rectangular without tabs

Overall Length ≥ 250mm, width end 25 or 50mm, Standard gauge 50mm. Thickness 2~10mm.

ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

Type 3

Rectangular with tabs

Overall Length ≥250mm, width end 25 or 50mm, Standard gauge 50mm. Thickness 2~10mm. Length of end tab 50mm.

ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

ISO 527-5

Type A

UD laminate in fiber direction (0°)

Overall Length 250mm, width 15mm, Standard gauge 50mm. Thickness 1mm. Length of end tab 50mm.

ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

Type B

UD laminate in transverse direction (90°)

Overall Length 250mm, width 25mm, Standard gauge 50mm. Thickness 2mm. Length of end tab 50mm.

ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Tensile Test on fibre-reinforced Composites

Test Equipment required:

Component	ISO 527‑4 / ISO 527‑5
Tensile Tester	Floor‑standing or bench‑top universal testing machine (30–250 kN load capacity, depending on material).
Grips	Pneumatic/hydraulic wedge grips with rubber‑coated or fine serrated faces; bonded end tabs for standard specimens.
Strain Measurement	Contact extensometers (for modulus/Poisson’s ratio) or non‑contact video extensometers (for high‑elongation materials).
Dimensioning	Callipers/micrometers conforming to ISO 16012 for width/thickness measurement.
Temperature chamber	Optional for tensile test in high or low temperature.

Analysis of ISO 527-4, ISO 527-5 Test Results:

When presenting test results, it is important to ensure that measurement terms are correctly defined to ensure compliance with the ISO 527-4 standard and to facilitate data comparison between different laboratories.

Tensile Stress / Tensile Strength: Tensile stress is determined by dividing the force at a given point by the average cross-sectional area of the specimen. The tensile strength of the specimen is the maximum tensile stress reached before failure.

Tensile Strain / Strain at Failure: Tensile strain is the engineering strain measured by the strain measuring device (strain gauge or extensometer). The tensile strain at failure is the strain corresponding to the tensile strength.

Modulus: The modulus is defined as the slope of the stress-strain response between 0.05% and 0.25% strain unless an alternative value is specified in the material specification. Since the modulus calculation starts at 0.05% strain, it is crucial to apply appropriate pre-stress to the material in order to eliminate slack or compressive forces caused by clamping the specimen. The strain should not exceed 0.05% or 1% of the material's tensile strength.

Poisson's Ratio: Poisson's ratio is determined by taking the ratio of the change in transverse strain to the change in axial strain over the same axial strain range used to determine the modulus (0.05% to 0.25%).

Related products and device

ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5 Composites Tensile Testing Machine

WDW Series Computer Control Electronic Universal Testing Machine made by UNITEDTEST range from 100N to 600KN load capacity with various models like single columns, table type, door frame type etc., is used to perform tension, compression, flexure/bending, shearing, peeling etc., test for metal and nonmetal specimens.

ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5 fiber composite tensile test grip

Hydraulic wedge test grips are a robust and versatile solution for tensile testing of high-strength materials. It can be used in both static and dynamic materials testing applications – from 20KN to 500 kN force capacity for dynamic tests, and up to 600 kN for static tests.

Tensile test high/low temperature furnace chamber

Temperature furnace chamber for tensile testing machine, furnace have a columnar split structure, three stage control function. Mainly consists of furnace, temperature controller, high temperature pull rod, high temperature clamp, high temperature extensometer and supporting device.

Video extensometer / Non-contact extensometer

Video extensometer, is a non-contact real-time high-precision strain measurement system, which is based on a separate camera and real-time image processing algorithm, by taking images of the experimental process, analyzing image characteristic changes, dynamically measuring the strain changes.

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).

ISO 527-1, ISO 527-2 Tensile Test of Plastics Composites & plastics –

ISO 527-1 Plastics — Determination of tensile properties Part 1: General principles

ISO 527-2 Plastics -- tensile properties -- Part 2: moulding and extrusion

ISO 527-1 covers the test procedures for determining tensile properties of plastics and plastic composites. Tensile properties of plastics that are determined through the practices of ISO 527-1 include tensile strength, tensile modulus and other properties related to stress strain characteristics of plastic materials.

ISO 527-2 specifies the test conditions for determining the tensile properties of moulding and extrusion plastics, based upon the general principles given in ISO 527-1. The methods described in ISO 527-2 are selectively suitable for use with the following range of materials: rigid and semi-rigid thermoplastics moulding, extrusion and cast materials, including compounds filled and reinforced by, for example, short fibres, small rods, plates or granules but excluding textile fibres (see ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5).

FAQs about ISO 527-4 & ISO 527-5 Composite Tensile Testing

Q1: What is the core difference between ISO 527-4 and ISO 527-5?

A: ISO 527-4 applies to isotropic/orthotropic fibre-reinforced composites (e.g., woven fabric, chopped strand composites), while ISO 527-5 is specifically for unidirectional (UD) fibre-reinforced composites with aligned fibres. They use different specimen types and test orientations.

Q2: Why are end tabs required for most specimens in ISO 527-4/5?

A: End tabs prevent premature failure at the grip jaws caused by crushing or stress concentration. They ensure fracture occurs within the gauge length, producing valid tensile property data.

Q3: Why is tensile testing per ISO 527-4/5 important for composite materials?

A: It provides critical design data (tensile strength, modulus, elongation at break) for structural engineering, ensures material qualification and production quality control, enables cross-laboratory result comparability, and guarantees product safety and performance in service.

Q4: What is the most critical part of the test setup?

A: Proper gripping and alignment is paramount. Composite specimens are prone to premature failure at the grips. Using correctly bonded end tabs and self-aligning grips ensures the load is applied purely axially, forcing failure in the gauge section for valid results.

Q5: Why must we use an extensometer instead of just the machine's crosshead displacement?

A: The machine's crosshead movement includes slippage in the grips and deformation in the test frame. An extensometer measures strain directly on the specimen's gauge length, which is essential for calculating an accurate and reliable elastic modulus.

Q6: Why is ASTM D3039 often mentioned alongside ISO 527-4/5?

A: ASTM D3039 is the main US standard for composite tensile testing. It is a comparable regional alternative, though specimen geometry, strain calculation, and reporting differ slightly, so direct cross-standard data comparison requires caution.

Q7: What causes invalid test results in ISO 527-4/5?

A: Common causes include grip-induced failure, misaligned specimen loading, damaged tabs, incorrect strain measurement, improper specimen preparation, and non-standard environmental conditioning.

Q8: How are the test results used in industry?

A: They are used to create material datasheets for designers, verify that production batches meet specifications (quality control), certify materials for aerospace and automotive applications, and guide the development of new composite materials in R&D.

Q9: Can I use the same specimen design for both unidirectional and woven composites?

A: Generally, no. The optimal specimen dimensions and tabbing requirements differ due to the materials' distinct failure modes. ISO 527-5 provides specific designs for UD materials, while ISO 527-4 offers guidance for orthotropic laminates. Using the wrong design can lead to invalid data.

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