Physical Testing Laboratory

The Physical Testing Laboratory is one of the main departments of the Accredited Testing Laboratory No. 1004. It was founded during the period of existence of the Research Institute for Rubber and Plastics and currently also the majority of testing methods are focused on problems with polymer materials. Following the development of the automotive industry, hundreds of unique tests were introduced at the testing laboratory in accordance with many technical standards, which, in connection with analytical laboratory services create the conditions for the provision of a wide range of professional services, utilised by clients from all over Europe.

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MECHANICAL TESTS

• Static
• Destruction and deformation
• Short- or long-term
• Dynamic
• With consecutive or alternating stress
  • Product dimensions
  • Weight, weight per unit area
  • Hardness (Frank, Hampden and Zwick hardness testers)
  • Tensile strength
  • Elastic modulus, Young's modulus
  • Ductility, elongation, yield strength
  • Pressure tests, bending tests, shear tests
  • Determination of rubber resilience
  • Determination of fatigue in rubber due to vibration stress
  • Torsional stiffness of rubber
  • Creep deformation tests
  • Toughness of plastics

 
Tensile tests are performed on Instron universal electronic devices that include a temperature chamber with a measurement range of between -80°C and +315°C, a device for recording the course of stress (strain), an extensometer, etc. These tests and devices are used, amongst other purposes, for the definition of adherence and coherence of sealants, coatings and paints.

The laboratory is equipped with adequate measuring and testing equipment for the implementation of additional series of tests on rubber and plastics, such as the temperature brittleness of rubber, resistance of rubber to fatigue during repeated compression, resistance of rubber against cracking, abrasion resistance, etc.

TESTING OF THERMAL PROPERTIES

The thermal characteristics of polymeric materials are of fundamental importance both for studying their structure and particularly in terms of the evaluation of their utility and other properties. The Physical Laboratory is primarily focused on the testing and evaluation of basic thermo-physical parameters.

• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC Method)
  • Melting and crystallisation temperatures
  • Vitrification temperatures
  • Enthalpy of individual physical transitions
  • The values of crystallinity
  • Specific heat capacity
  • Kinetics of crystallisation
  • Study of reticulation and hardening
  • Assessment of the degradation of materials
• Thermal expansion
• Heat and thermal conductivity
• Melting point

TESTING FLAMMABILITY AND FIREPROOF PROPERTIES

Tests are carried out mostly in special multi-purpose chambers, allowing the testing of either small or large samples. In particular the fireproof characteristics of building materials are evaluated with the use of computer technology, which helps to refine and improve the quality of professional services.

• Flammability class of building materials
• Ignitability of materials
• Flammability of hoses, lightweight materials, vehicle interiors, seals, toys, flooring materials, conveyor belts
• Flash-point
• Fire-point
• Ease of ignition of vertically oriented samples
• Speed of flame propagation of textiles
• Tablet test of flooring materials
• Hot nut test of flooring materials
• Cigarette test of bedding and seating furniture
• Match test of bedding and seating furniture
• Resistance to a small amount of molten metal

EVALUATION OF OPTICAL PROPERTIES

• Optical and electron microscopy
  • The laboratory is equipped with a scanning electron microscope with the appropriate technical equipment and with optical polarising microscopes connected to the display analyser, which allows the evaluation of the size of individual particles or the thickness of individual layers of material and the processing of data measured according to statistical parameters and histograms from microscopic images transmitted to the analyser.
• Spectral analysis and objective measurement of chromaticity
  • measurement of the spectral dependence of the absorbance and transmittance in the UV and VIS bands of the electromagnetic spectrum; also measurement in the visible spectrum of the spectral dependence of remission.
  • determination of the efficiency of protective filters against UV radiation in the UV-A and UV-B and UV-C bands
  • measurement of shielding factors
  • determination of colour coordinates on transparent and opaque samples
  • evaluation of colour changes following exposure to the effects of artificial ageing (temperature, UV radiation, chemical effects, etc.)
  • measurement of opacity, turbidity, light-scattering.

TRANSPORT PHENOMENA

• Water vapour permeability
• Volatile liquids permeability
• Gas permeability (nitrogen, oxygen, air, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, etc.)
• Air-permeability
• Determination of the viscosity, viscosity numbers, limit viscosity number
• Permeability by water under pressure
• Water repellence - Spraytest
• Penetration - penetration of chemicals
• Permeation - permeability by chemicals

TESTING BY ACCELERATED AGEING

The exposure of materials is carried out under natural conditions on outdoor racks or in the laboratory using various types of equipment for ageing tests (Xenotest, Veterometr, Suntest, dryers, air boxes, ozonators)

• Natural weather ageing
• Accelerated weather ageing
• Accelerated thermal ageing in air
• Accelerated thermal ageing in oxygen
• Ozone ageing
• Various climatic tests (combined effect of changes in temperature and humidity)

TESTING OF PIPELINE SYSTEMS

• Material properties (density, melt flow rate, dimensional stability, tensile properties, heat resistance according to Vicat, etc.)
• Strength under sustained internal pressure
• Tightness of the pressure, sewage, waste and gutter systems
• Resistance against slow crack propagation
• Abrasion of the pipeline
• Creep factor, creep and relaxation behaviour during tension and bending, welding factor
• Resistance against temperature cycles
• Pull-out tests
• Impact tests

CONTACTS

Post address:
Institute for Testing and Certification
trida Tomase Bati 299, Louky, 763 02 Zlin
Czech Republic

The person responsible for accuracy of data: Mgr. Roman Dlabaja, Ph.D.