ISO 604:2002
Issue date: 2002 03 07
Plastics — Determination of compressive properties
This International Standard specifies a method for determining the compressive properties of plastics under defined
conditions. A standard test specimen is defined but its length may be adjusted to prevent buckling under load from
affecting the results. A range of test speeds is included.
The method is used to investigate the compressive behaviour of the test specimens and for determining the
compressive strength, compressive modulus and other aspects of the compressive stress/strain relationship under
the conditions defined.
The method applies to the following range of materials:
¿ rigid and semi-rigid [1] thermoplastic moulding and extrusion materials, including compounds filled and
reinforced by e.g. short fibres, small rods, plates or granules in addition to unfilled types; rigid and semi-rigid
thermoplastic sheet;
¿ rigid and semi-rigid thermoset moulding materials, including filled and reinforced compounds; rigid and semirigid
thermoset sheet;
¿ thermotropic liquid-crystal polymers.
In agreement with ISO 10350-1 and ISO 10350-2, this International Standard applies to fibre-reinforced
compounds with fibre lengths u 7,5 mm prior to processing.
The method is not normally suitable for use with materials reinforced by textile fibres (see references [2] and [5]),
fibre-reinforced plastic composites and laminates (see [5]), rigid cellular materials (see [3]) or sandwich structures
containing cellular material or rubber (see [4]).
The method is performed using specimens which may be moulded to the chosen dimensions, machined from the
central portion of a standard multipurpose test specimen (see ISO 3167) or machined from finished or semifinished
products such as mouldings or extruded or cast sheet.
The method specifies preferred dimensions for the test specimen. 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 test speed and the conditioning of the specimens, can also
influence the results. Consequently, when comparable data are required, these factors must be carefully controlled
and recorded.
