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Plastics

Measuring hardness in plastics is more complex than in steel and often conflates with terms like scratch resistance. The most common scales for measuring hardness in plastics are Shore A and Shore D, which involve using durometers to assess indentation resistance. While hardness measurements can correlate with other material properties, they are not definitive and should be treated as approximate guides.

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10 views1 page

Plastics

Measuring hardness in plastics is more complex than in steel and often conflates with terms like scratch resistance. The most common scales for measuring hardness in plastics are Shore A and Shore D, which involve using durometers to assess indentation resistance. While hardness measurements can correlate with other material properties, they are not definitive and should be treated as approximate guides.

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Plastics - Measuring Hardness

NOTE: These sheets are summaries of complex matters originally prepared as background material for the internal
use of Fallshaw staff. In allowing others to access them without charge we assume no legal liability. If it is important
to you, you should check the information for yourself.

Comment:
'Hardness' is more difficult to measure with plastics than with steel. The term is sometimes (inappropriately) used instead of
'scratch resistance' or 'rebound resilience'. For polymers it also can be a measure of 'resistance to indentation', but because
of the amorphous nature of many plastics the time of indentation at which the measurement is made is important. Hardness
is by no means a fundamental property, but regardless of the arbitrary nature of the test, it is attractive because of its
cheapness and simplicity, and because it gives a workable result quickly.

The most common hardness scales for plastics and rubber are Shore A and Shore D (or their IRHD equivalents). These are
often measured with small hand held indentors. However, the great convenience this brings also means operator variations,
test conditions, appropriate calibration and test piece thickness can all lower accuracy and reproducibility.

The durometers are small hand-held instruments with an indentor of given geometry that is pressed into the surface of the
material to be measured under a spring of a given stiffness. The amount of penetration of the indentor is measured by a
suitable scale marked directly in hardness degrees.

For soft elastomers, the Shore A scale is used, with the indentor being a truncated cone of 35° included angle and
diameter at the flat of 0.79mm. (The IRHD scale of ISO48 is essentially the same over the normal operating range).

For harder elastomers the Shore D scale is used, having an indenter of 30° included angle, with only a lightly rounded tip
of 0.1mm radius.

In both methods the test piece should be 6mm or more thick, although 3mm is allowed for D. If testing thinner pieces at
Shore A the piece should be layered with another piece of similar softness to prevent a wrong reading. To avoid edge effects,
do not measure closer than 12mm from the edge.

An 'instantaneous' reading can be taken after 1 second, but it is better to take the reading at 15 seconds.

Softer foam (as used in our golf buggy tyres) is not well read with even the soft measuring Shore A. The specified
measurement tool is only able to be used on slab stock, and not formed shapes. The firmer foams used on wheel-chair tyres
are reasonably consistently measured with Shore A.

For harder polymers the Rockwell R scale is used. This uses a ½ inch (12.7mm) ball, with a minor load of 10kg followed by
60kg. The hardness is read 15 seconds after the removal of the major load, but still with the minor load applied.

Hardness measurements of polymers do not give certainty. However there is an approximate correlation with strength,
stiffness, scratch resistance, wear resistance and brittleness; and the opposite characteristic, softness is associated with
ductility. In the absence of anything better, it gets used.

An approximate correlation follows. With what has been said, take it as a guide only.

End of Fact Sheet


G:\QMS\Fact Book\G062 Plastics - Measuring Hardness
Issued February 2002

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