1.1 This part of ISO 527 specifies the general principles for determining the tensile properties of plastics and plastic composites under defined conditions.

Several different types of test specimen are defined to suit different types of material which are detailed in subsequent parts of ISO 527.

1.2 The methods are used to investigate the tensile behaviour of the test specimens and for determining the tensile strength, tensile modulus and other aspects of the tensile stress/strain relationship under the conditions defined.

1.3 The methods are selectively suitable for use with the following range of materials:

— rigid and semirigid thermoplastics moulding and extrusion materials, including filled and reinforced compounds in addition to unfilled types; rigid and semirigid thermoplastics sheets and films;

— rigid and semirigid thermosetting moulding materials, including filled and reinforced compounds; rigid and semirigid thermosetting sheets, including laminates;

— fibre-reinforced thermoset and thermoplastics composites incorporating unidirectional ornon-unidirectional reinforcements such as mat, woven fabrics, woven rovings, chopped strands, combination and hybrid reinforcements, rovings and milled fibres; sheets made from pre-impregnated materials (prepregs);

— thermotropic liquid crystal polymers.

The methods are not normally suitable for use with rigid cellular materials or sandwich structures containing cellular material.

1.4 The methods are applied using specimens which may be either moulded to the chosen dimensions or machined, cut or punched from finished and semifinished products such as mouldings, laminates, films and extruded or cast sheet. In some cases a multipurpose test specimen (see ISO 3167:1993, Plastics — Preparation and use of multipurpose test specimens), may be used.

1.5 The methods specify preferred dimensions for the test specimens. Tests which are carried out on specimens of different dimensions, or on specimens which are prepared under different conditions, may produce results which are not comparable. Other factors, such as the speed of testing and the conditioning of the specimens, can also influence the results. Consequently, when comparative data are required, these factors must be carefully controlled and recorded.