Home >> Application >> By Standard >> ISO >> ISO 1 ~ 4999 >> ISO 845 Cellular Plastics & Rubber Apparent Density Testing

ISO 845 Cellular Plastics & Rubber Apparent Density Testing

Share:

ISO 845 Cellular Plastics & Rubbers Apparent Density Tester | UnitedTest

ISO 845 defines laboratory test methods to measure apparent overall density and apparent core density for cellular plastics and foamed rubbers, distinguishing skin-included and skin-free core density values. UnitedTest manufactures ISO 8455 compliant density testing machines for foam and cellular material quality control.


ISO 845 is an international standard dedicated to cellular plastics and rubber materials, outlining uniform laboratory procedures for determining apparent overall density and apparent core density of foamed polymer and rubber products. The standard clearly differentiates two key density parameters: apparent overall density, which accounts for mould-formed surface skins on foam specimens, and apparent core density, tested after full removal of all mould-generated surface layers.


For skinless cellular materials with no mould-formed surface structure, the overall density classification is not applicable, ensuring accurate and standardized density evaluation for all types of foamed plastics and rubbers. This testing method is widely used in foam material manufacturing, packaging production, automotive foam component inspection, construction cellular material certification and polymer material R&D, ensuring consistent material porosity, structural uniformity and product quality.


UnitedTest designs and manufactures high-precision ISO 845 cellular material density testing machines. Our professional testing equipment delivers accurate, repeatable apparent density and core density test results, fully complying with ISO 845 standard requirements for industrial quality inspection and laboratory material qualification.


Test Principle

The test follows the fundamental density definition: density = mass / volume.

1. Measure specimen mass by weighing.

2. Calculate specimen volume from its geometric dimensions.

3. Compute apparent density with formula:

ISO 845 Cellular Plastics


Test Specimen Requirements

Specimen geometry shall allow easy volume calculation (regular block‑shaped preferred). Cutting must not distort the original cellular microstructure.

Minimum total specimen volume: 100 cm³. Specimen should be as large as feasible given sample and instrument limits.

For rigid foams with surface skins: the skin‑area‑to‑volume ratio of test specimens must match that of the original bulk sample when testing apparent overall density.

Quantity: Minimum five valid specimens for each test series. A finished manufactured article may serve as the test sample if its total mass and volume can be precisely measured.


Equipment required for ISO 845 Cellular Plastics & Rubber Apparent Density Testing


Balance

capable of weighing specimen mass with accuracy of 0.1 %; weighing reading accuracy for specimen is 0.5 % during practical test operation

ISO 845 Cellular Plastics

Dimension‑measuring instrumentscomplying with ISO 1923 for linear‑dimension measurement of cellular materials
Auxiliary itemscutting tools (without deforming cell structure), desiccator for dry‑condition conditioning, standard‑atmosphere environmental chamber for specimen conditioning


Key Test Parameters & Stipulations

Specimen minimal volume: 100cm^3; 

minimum specimen count: 5 pcs

Balance accuracy requirement: mass resolution 0.1 % capacity accuracy; practical weighing tolerance 0.5 % of reading.

Reporting rule: mean density rounded to nearest 0.1kg/m^3; standard deviation expressed to two significant figures.


Details Test Procedures

  1. Dimension measurement: Measure each dimension in millimetres according to ISO 1923. Take at least three independent readings per dimension; for rigid board‑type cellular materials, take minimum five readings across central regions. Compute dimension averages and calculate specimen volume from mean dimensions.

  2. Weighing: Weigh each conditioned specimen, record mass in grams with 0.5 % accuracy requirement.

  3. Density calculation: Compute density for every specimen using the given formula. Calculate the arithmetic mean density of all specimens and round mean result to nearest 0.1kg/m^3. Apply buoyancy correction for very‑low‑density foams when necessary.

  4. Statistical computation: Calculate estimated standard deviation s of the dataset and report to two significant figures using stipulated formula. 

  5. Test report compilation: record all mandatory items specified in clause 9 of ISO 845:2006, including standard reference, material identification, conditioning climate, skin status, specimen defects, individual results, mean density, standard deviation, buoyancy correction status and any deviations from test protocol.


Industrial Application Fields

ISO 845 applies broadly to rigid, semi‑rigid and flexible cellular plastics and cellular rubbers (foamed polymers). Typical industries include:

1. Building & construction: thermal‑insulation foams (extruded polystyrene, polyurethane foam boards).

2. Automotive industry: lightweight cellular rubber and plastic components, acoustic‑absorption foams.

3. Packaging industry: protective cushioning foams.

4. Household goods: foam padding, cellular rubber products.

5. Aerospace: lightweight cellular structural foams.

Note: for complex irregular‑shaped finished parts, buoyancy‑based alternative measurement is suggested instead of ISO 845 geometric‑volume method.


Related standard: 

ISO 845Cellular plastics and rubbers - Determination of apparent density
GB/T 6343Cellular plastics and rubbers - Determination of apparent density
ASTM D1622

Standard Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid Cellular Plastics

ISO 1183-2Plastics. Methods for determining the density of non-cellular plastics-Density gradient column method
JIS K 7112Plastics -- Methods of determining the density and relative density of non-cellular plastics
ASTM D3574flexible cellular urethane foams, includes density among broader foam properties.


Importance of the ISO 845 Apparent‑Density Test

Apparent density is one of the most fundamental performance indicators for cellular polymer materials:

1. Density strongly correlates with critical functional performances of foams: thermal insulation capacity, mechanical strength (compression, tensile property), resilience, acoustic damping and water‑absorption behaviour. Lower‑density foams normally deliver better thermal insulation yet reduced mechanical strength; higher‑density foams provide enhanced structural robustness at higher material cost and weight.

2. Distinguishing between apparent overall density (with skin) and apparent core density (skin‑removed) eliminates bias caused by hard dense surface skins generated in moulding/extrusion, enabling fair comparison of intrinsic core‑foam properties among different batches or suppliers.

3. Provides unified global laboratory test protocol, ensuring repeatability within‑lab and reproducibility between‑labs for quality‑control, incoming‑material inspection, product specification verification and research‑development of cellular plastics and rubbers.

4. Supports material formulation optimisation and manufacturing‑process tuning, helping manufacturers stabilise foam quality and meet end‑product specification requirements in construction, automotive, packaging and other sectors.


Keywords: ISO 845 cellular plastics density tester,foamed rubber apparent density test machine,cellular material core density test rig,mould skin foam density testing equipment,polymer foam overall density analyzer,industrial foam material quality control tester,packaging foam density verification apparatus,automotive cellular component density tester,construction foam polymer material test system,skin-free foam core density measurement instrument,foamed rubber physical property tester,cellular polymer laboratory qualification machine

Related products and device

ISO 845 Analytical Density Balance

Analytical density balance is a precise measuring instrument that uses Archimedes' principle. It's mainly used to measure the density of solids, liquids, floating objects, or irregularly shaped items and is applied in fields like electronics, rubber, chemical industry, and research.

ISO 291 Electricity hot blast drying oven

Electricity hot blast drying oven is mainly used to measure the dimension change of plastic material after heating, suitable for plastic pipe, plastic sheet etc. ,

ISO 291 Constant temperature and humidity test chamber

Constant temperature and humidity test chamber Equipment for testing the performance of materials in various environments and testing various materials heat-resistant, cold-resistant, dry-resistant, moisture resistance.

Related Standard

ASTM D1622 Rigid Cellular Plastic Apparent Density Test

ASTM D1622 Standard Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid Cellular Plastics.

ASTM D1622 defines laboratory procedures for measuring apparent overall density and apparent core density of rigid cellular plastics (rigid foams). Apparent overall density includes mould‑formed outer skins; apparent core density is measured after removing all manufacturing‑formed skins. This standard is noted as equivalent to ISO 845, yet it applies only to rigid cellular plastics (not flexible cellular rubbers) and contains special provisions for spray‑applied foam materials.

ISO 291 Conditioning and testing environment for plastics

ISO 291 is a fundamental conditioning and testing environment standard for plastics. It specifies the atmospheric conditions under which plastic samples must be prepared (conditioned) and tested to ensure data reproducibility and comparability.

ISO 845 apparent density test – FAQ

Q1: What is ISO 845 test used for?

A1: ISO 845:2006 measures apparent overall density and apparent core density for cellular (foamed) plastics and rubbers. Apparent overall density includes mould‑formed surface skin; apparent core density excludes skin by trimming all outer skin layers off specimens. It applies to rigid, semi‑rigid and flexible foam materials used in construction, automotive, packaging and other sectors.


Q2: Why is ISO 845 apparent density test important for cellular materials?

A2: Density is a fundamental indicator closely linked to thermal insulation, compression strength, cushioning performance, acoustic absorption and material cost of foams. Lower‑density foam usually brings better thermal insulation but lower mechanical strength; higher‑density foam gives stronger mechanical properties with higher weight and material cost. The test enables consistent quality control, incoming‑material inspection, R&D formulation tuning and cross‑lab comparable data worldwide. Distinguishing overall vs core density removes bias caused by dense mould skin.


Q3: What is the difference between apparent overall density and apparent core density in ISO 845?

A3:

  • Apparent overall density: density of specimen including mould‑generated surface skin. When cutting specimens from rigid foam blocks, skin‑area‑to‑volume ratio of specimen shall match original product sample.

  • Apparent core density: density measured after fully removing all mould‑formed skin layers, reflecting intrinsic property of inner foam matrix. If the material has no mould‑formed skin, “apparent overall density” term is not applicable.


Q4: How many specimens are required for ISO 845 test? What is specimen volume requirement?

A4: Minimum 5 test specimens per test group. Each specimen’s total volume shall be at least 100 cm³. Specimen shall be regular‑shaped for easy volume calculation, cutting shall not deform original cell structure. Manufactured finished articles can serve as test samples if mass and volume can be accurately measured.


Q5: When do I need buoyancy correction for ISO 845 testing?

A5: Buoyancy correction is required for low‑density closed‑cell foams below 15 kg/m³. Air buoyancy will make measured mass lighter than real mass and bring negative error. You need add mass of displaced air into calculation, and record temperature‑pressure‑humidity in test report.


Q6: Can ISO 845 be used for complex irregular‑shaped foam parts?

A6: ISO 845 geometric‑volume method is best suited for regular‑geometry specimens. For complex‑shape finished articles, standard suggests using alternative buoyancy / immersion volume‑measurement method instead of ISO 845 direct‑dimension‑calculation procedure.


Q7: What common errors cause bad ISO 845 test results?

A7:

  1. Specimen cutting deforms foam cell structure.

  2. Specimen volume less than 100 cm³ or insufficient number of specimens (<5).

  3. Incomplete / wrong conditioning (too‑short waiting time after manufacturing, wrong temperature‑humidity).

  4. Skin‑to‑volume ratio mismatched for overall‑density testing of rigid foam.

  5. Neglect buoyancy correction for ultra‑low‑density closed‑cell foam (<15 kg/m³).

  6. Too‑few dimension readings (ISO 845 requires ≥3 readings per dimension; ≥5 readings for rigid board‑form foam central area).


Q8: Why choose ISO 845 Foam Density Tester | Cellular Plastics & Rubber Apparent Density Machine from UnitedTest?

A8: UnitedTest is professional manufacturer of ISO 845 apparent density test equipment for cellular plastics and rubbers. Our foam density testing systems comply with ISO 845:2006, ISO 1923 and ISO 291 standards for lab quality‑control, R&D and third‑party inspection of rigid, semi‑rigid and flexible foams.


UnitedTest designs and manufactures complete testing solutions for ISO 845:2006 Cellular plastics and rubbers — Determination of apparent density. Our integrated foam apparent‑density test systems help material laboratories, foam producers, building‑insulation factories, automotive‑component suppliers and packaging manufacturers perform reliable apparent‑overall‑density and apparent‑core‑density measurement for foamed plastics and cellular rubbers.


Built to satisfy ISO 845 requirements, our test set‑ups combine high‑precision analytical balance, standardized dimensional‑measuring modules, specimen‑processing accessories and configurable data‑reporting software. The system supports core‑density (skin‑removed) and overall‑density testing, includes built‑in buoyancy‑correction calculation for ultra‑low‑density closed‑cell foams below 15 kg/m³, and auto‑generates test‑report templates matching ISO 845 test‑report requirements.

All our ISO 845 test instruments follow normative references ISO 1923 (linear‑dimension measurement) and ISO 291 (conditioning atmospheres). They are widely deployed for polyurethane foam, EPS/XPS insulation board, EVA cellular rubber, packaging cushion foam and lightweight automotive foam component quality verification.


As an experienced material‑testing‑equipment manufacturer, UnitedTest supplies standard ISO 845 density‑testing kits and provides custom‑configuration services according to customer laboratory conditions, sample‑size range and reporting needs. We deliver full‑set after‑sales service including installation guidance, operation training, instrument calibration support and long‑term technical assistance for global customers.

< Previous: ISO 844 Rigid Cellular Plastics Compression Test

> Next: ISO 974 Plastics brittleness temperature impact test

Require More Customized Solutions?

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

Beijing United Test Co., Ltd.