1. Scope

1.1 This specification provides for the identification of polyethylene plastics molding and extrusion materials in such a manner that the supplier and the user can agree on the acceptability of different commercial lots or shipments. The tests involved in this specification are intended to provide information for identifying materials in accordance with the groups, classes, and grades covered. It is not the function of this specification to provide specific engineering data for design purposes.

1.2 Other requirements may be necessary to identify particular characteristics important to specialized applications. These shall be agreed upon between the user and the supplier, by using the suffixes given in Section 1.3.

1.3 Ethylene plastic materials, being thermoplastic, are reprocessable and recyclable (see Note 1). This specification allows for the use of those ethylene plastic materials, provided that any specific requirements as governed by the producer and the end user are met.

Note 1See Guide D 5033 for information and definitions related to recycled plastics.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are regarded as the standard.

1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains to the test method portion only, Section 12, of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.6 For information regarding plastic pipe materials see Specification D 3350. For information regarding wire and cable materials, see Specification D 1248. For information on polyethylenes with densities below 0.910 g/cm ³ , see Classification D 5593.

Note 2There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D257 Test Methods for DC Resistance or Conductance of Insulating Materials

D568 Method of Test for Burning and/or Extent and Time of Burning of Flexible Plastics in a Vertical Position

D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing

D635 Test Method for Rate of Burning and/or Extent and Time of Burning of Plastics in a Horizontal Position

D638 Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics

D790 Test Methods for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials

D792 Test Methods for Density and Specific Gravity (Relative Density) of Plastics by Displacement

D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics

D1238 Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer

D1248 Specification for Polyethylene Plastics Extrusion Materials for Wire and Cable

D1499 Practice for Filtered Open-Flame Carbon-Arc Exposures of Plastics

D1505 Test Method for Density of Plastics by the Density-Gradient Technique

D1531 Test Methods for Relative Permittivity (Dielectric Constant) and Dissipation Factor by Fluid Displacement Procedures

D1600 Terminology for Abbreviated Terms Relating to Plastics

D1693 Test Method for Environmental Stress-Cracking of Ethylene Plastics

D2565 Practice for Xenon-Arc Exposure of Plastics Intended for Outdoor Applications

D2839 Practice for Use of a Melt Index Strand for Determining Density of Polyethylene

D2951 Test Method for Resistance of Types III and IV Polyethylene Plastics to Thermal Stress-Cracking

D3350 Specification for Polyethylene Plastics Pipe and Fittings Materials

D3801 Test Method for Measuring the Comparative Burning Characteristics of Solid Plastics in a Vertical Position

D3892 Practice for Packaging/Packing of Plastics

D4000 Classification System for Specifying Plastic Materials

D4329 Practice for Fluorescent UV Exposure of Plastics

D4703 Practice for Compression Molding Thermoplastic Materials into Test Specimens, Plaques, or Sheets

D4804 Test Method for Determining the Flammability Characteristics of Nonrigid Solid Plastics

D4883 Test Method for Density of Polyethylene by the Ultrasound Technique

D4986 Test Method for Horizontal Burning Characteristics of Cellular Polymeric Materials

D6360 Practice for Enclosed Carbon-Arc Exposures of Plastics

D7209 Guide for Waste Reduction, Resource Recovery, and Use of Recycled Polymeric Materials and Products

E29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications

E1354 Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter

F1473 Test Method for Notch Tensile Test to Measure the Resistance to Slow Crack Growth of Polyethylene Pipes and Resins

Military Standard

Keywords

molding and extrusion materials; polyethylene;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 83.080.20 (Thermoplastic materials)

DOI: 10.1520/D4976-04

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