Hardness of plastics

This test can be used to determine the hardness of plastics with the ball indentation (ISO 2039-1) or Shore hardness (ISO 868) method. Testing is performed at room temperature and includes three measurements per sample.

Hardness data may be used for research, development, quality control, and acceptance or rejection of the material under selected specifications.

Hardness is fundamentally an empirical attribute that is primarily used for control purposes, as there is no simple relationship between hardness values and fundamental material characteristics.