International laboratories are testing each other

Optimum safety and reliability is achieved by a comparison among different laboratories - coordinated by the Kunststoff-Institut.

By participating in the so-called proficiency test, laboratories are testing themselves and each other in order to verify their own test procedures as well as their comparability. The procedure is very simple yet highly efficient: equivalent samples are sent to the laboratories where they are then analyzed according to previously defined parameters. The results are then sent to the Kunststoff-Institut for evaluation. "As long as they are within a certain tolerance range, everything is OK. If one of the laboratories produces individual values that drastically deviate from the others, something went wrong with the test". Proficiency testing will be carried out once a year.

At the beginning of the year 2012 a cooperation between the Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid and the Deutsches Referenzbüro für Lebensmittel-Ringversuche und Referenzmaterialien GmbH (DRRR) starts. This cooperation covers selected proficiency testing schemes in the field of testing of plastic foils and commidities and includes a joint operation of these proficiency testing schemes. Within the context of this collaboration the following proficiency testing schemes will be offered in 2012: Sensory of commidities acc. to DIN 10955, Global migration of plastic foil, Specific migration of plastic foil, Identification of polymer material and Monomer identification of polymers in food stuff You can find further information concerning our cooperation in our download area and the following homepage: www.drrr.de

A large number of different laboratories are taking part each year, a total number of

• 180 laboratories
• from 28 countries
• with roughly 765 registrations for 57 procedures.

Participants ranged from the automotive industry and raw material producers to engineering consultants. This is an indicator of the high quality of the procedure. By the way, the complete results will later be made anonymous and sent out to the participants. Only the corresponding laboratories will receive their own results, so they can react appropriately. This is of particular importance to accredited and/or certified laboratories, which are subject to increased quality demands. "The proficiency test is an important and well functioning corrective." The participation in the proficiency test will enable you to see if the mechanical testing or analyses results are comparable to those achieved in other laboratories. They are, therefore, an important instrument of external quality control for laboratories and are used to determine and/or verify the accuracy of measuring methods, in which they document the performance of your own laboratory.

Participation in the proficiency tests is recommended, in particular, for test centres and laboratories certified per an ISO 9000 QA system or accredited per EN ISO/IEC 17025.

The proficiency test is performed and evaluated acc. to ISO Guide 17043. For the measurement of the laboratory performance the so-called “z-score” is used. The evaluation and the calculation of the statistical parameters is made according to ISO 13528 and ISO 5725-2.

The performance of single requires a minimum of five participants. Participation in individual test procedures is possible. Samples and materials will be supplied by the Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid. For each test method two materials or samples are provided.

Schedule for the Proficiency Test 2012

Registration Deadline:	Mid of February 2012
Test sample distribution:	End of March 2012
Deadline foe reporting test results:	Mid of June 2012
Distribution of the test reports:	Mid of September 2012

The following test and analysis methods are offered in 2012:

Exposure to sunlight and evaluation with greyscale and Colorimetry:

• Light fastness (ISO 105-B06) VDA 75202 – 3 A4
• Sun light simulation DIN 75220 D-IN1-T

Properties of plastic pipes:

• Resistance to internal pressure (max. 1000 h) ISO 1167-1/-2

Mechanical properties of plastics:

• Tensile test (modulus) ISO 527-1/-2
• Tensile test (strength and elongation) ISO 527-1/-2
• Tensile test at higher temperature (1 material) ISO 527-1/-2
• Tensile test at lower temperature (1 material) ISO 527-1/-2
• Flexural test (modulus) ISO 178
• Flexural test (3.5 % flexural stress) ISO 178
• Flexural test (strength and elongation) ISO 178
• Charpy flexural impact (unnotched) ISO 179-1/1eU
• Charpy flexural impact (notched) ISO 179-1/1eA
• Charpy flexural impact at -30°C ISO 179-1
• Izod flexural impact ISO 180
• Dynstat (notch-) flexural impact test DIN 53435
• 3.5 % flexural stress / Dynstat DIN 53435
• Instrumented impact test ISO 6603-2
• Compression Test (Compressive strength) ISO 604

Properties of plastics acc. to ASTM-standards: NEW!!!

• Tensile test (modulus) ASTM D638
• Tensile test (strength and elongation) ASTM D638
• Flexural test (modulus) ASTM D790
• Flexural test (strength and elongation) ASTM D790
• Specific Gravity ASTM D792
• Melt flow/volume index MFR/MVR ASTM D1238
• Vicat softening point ASTM D1525
• Heat deflection temperature ASTM 648

Dynamic-mechanical properties of plastics:

• Dynamic-mechanical-Analysis (DMA)
  Modulus of elasticity in tension ISO 6721-2
• Dynamic-mechanical-Analysis (DMA)
  e.g. Shear loss modulus ISO 6721-5

Specimen injection moulding and mechanical properties:

• Specimen injection moulding (1A) and tensile test ISO 527-1/-2
• Specimen injection moulding (1A) and flexural test ISO 178
• Specimen injection moulding (1A) and Charpy flexural test ISO 179

Manufacturing of specimen (cutting) and mechanical properties:

• Manufacturing of specimen (1B) and tensile test ISO 527-1/-2

Thermal properties of plastics:

• DSC-Analysis: Melting point and the enthalpy ISO 11357-3
• DSC-Analysis: Glass transition temperature ISO 11357-2
• DSC-Analysis: Oxidation Induction Time (OIT) ISO 11357-6
• Thermogravimetry-Analysis: Glass fibre and black carbon content ISO 11358
• Vicat softening point ISO 306
• Heat deflection temperature ISO 75
• Coefficient of linear thermal expansion ISO 11359

Rheological properties of plastics:

• Melt flow/volume index MFR/MVR ISO 1133
• Fluidity of plastics using capillary rheometer ISO 11443
• Complex shear viscosity using a parallel-plate rheometer ISO 6721-10

Chemical and physical properties of plastics:

• Density ISO 1183-1
• Viscosity number (concentrated sulphuric acid) ISO 307
• Viscosity number (m-kresol) ISO 307
• Viscosity number on PBT (phenol/1.2-dichlorbenzol) ISO 1628-5
• Ash content ISO 1172

Hardness of plastics:

• Shore-D-Hardness ISO 868
• Ball indentation hardness ISO 2039-1

Infrared spectroscopy:

• Quantitative Infrared spectroscopy with FTIR none

Burning behaviour of plastics:

• Burning rate (DIN 75200) FMVSS 302
• Burning rate UL 94 HB
• Burning rate UL 94 V

Emission properties of plastics:

• Odourtest /VW PV 3900) VDA 270
• Formaldehyde emission (VW PV 3925) VDA 275
• Total carbon emission (VW PV 3341) VDA 277
• Fogging / Method A (reflectometric fogging) DIN 75201-A
• Fogging / Method B (VW PV 3015) DIN 75201-B

Optical properties of plastics:

• Gloss grade with reflectometer 60° (DIN 67530) ISO 2813
• Determination of the colour (8°/d) ΔL Δa Δb ΔE ISO 7724
• Determination of the colour (45/0) ΔL Δa Δb ΔE DIN 53236-B

Electrical properties of plastics:

• Fire hazing testing / Glowing/hot-wire based test method ISO 60695-2-10

Properties of rubber and TPE:

• Density of rubber ISO 2781
• Tensile test (Specimen S2) ISO 37
• Tensile test at higher temperature ISO 37
• Glass transition temperature DIN 53765
• Compression set ISO 815
• Tear strength of rubber / trouser test piece ISO 34-1
• Tear strength of rubber / angle test piece ISO 34-1
• Shore-A-Hardness ISO 868
• IRHD-Hardness on rubber / TPE ISO 48-N
• Solvent extract ISO 1407
• Rebound resilience (DIN 53512) ISO 4662
• Abrasion resistance ISO 4649
• Ash content of rubber ISO 247-A

Properties of plastic films:

• Tensile test on plastic films ISO 527-3
• Tear strength of plastic films DIN 53356
• Tear test on plastic films - trouser tear method ISO 6383-1
• Tear resistance Elmendorf method ISO 6383-2
• Determination of the vapour transmission rate ISO 15106-3
• Determination of the gas-transmission rate ISO 15105-2
• T-Peel test acc. ISO 11339
• Stiffness in bending - Method according to Cantilever DIN 53362
• Film thickness ISO 4593
• Coefficients of friction (static friction and kinetic friction) ISO 8295