Materials
The client supplied EPS specimens as follows:
Nine specimens 50 x 50 x 50mm (nominal)
Six specimens 200 x 50 x 50mm (nominal)
Six specimens 100 x 100 x 25mm (nominal)
Ten specimens 25 x 67mm diameter (nominal)
BRANZ was not involved in the selection of these specimens and as-such is unable to comment upon how representative they are of normal production material.
Description of test procedures
The Test methods used can be found in Table 1 below
Table 1: Description of Test Methods
| Test Type | Test Method | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Compressive Stress | Flexural strength | Water Vapour Transmission |
| Compressive Stress | AS 2498.3 – 1993 |
Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics – Method 3: Determination of compressive stress |
| Flexural strength | AS 2498.4 –1193 |
Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics – Method 4: Determination of cross-breaking strength |
| Water Vapour Transmission | AS 2498.5 – 1993 |
Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics – Method 5: Determination of dimensional stability |
| Dimensional Stability | AS 2498.6 – 1993 |
Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics – Method 6: Determination of dimensional stability |
Results
The results reported here relate only to the items tested.
AS 2498.3 Determination of Compressive Strength
Five specimens 50 x 50 x 50mm (nominal), supplied by the client, were tested. The surfaces of the specimens parallel with the faces of the sample were marked to ensure that they were the load bearing surfaces and that the load was applied perpendicular to these faces. The specimens were tested at a crosshead speed of 5mm/minute. The results are recorded in Table 1.
Table 1: Compressive Stress at 10% relative deformation results
| Specimen No | Compressive Strength (kPa) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 144.9 |
| 2 | 108.6 |
| 3 | 132.5 |
| 4 | 116.6 |
| 5 | 133.4 |
| Average | 127.2 |
AS 2498.4 Determination of Cross-Breaking (Flexural) Strength
Five specimens 50 x 50 x 200mm (nominal), supplied by the client, were tested. The specimens were tested at a span of 152 mm and a cross head speed of 25 mm/minute. The results are recorded in Table 2
Table 2 : Cross Breaking Strength results
| Specimen No | Cross-Breaking Strength (kPa) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 267.7 |
| 2 | 280.1 |
| 2 | 280.1 |
| 3 | 267.7 |
| 4 | 311.4 |
| 5 | 315.0 |
| Average | 288.4 |
AS2498.5 Determination of water vapour transmission
Five specimens 67mm dia x 25mm (nominal), suppled by the client, were tested. Testing was conducted from 15-Feb-10 to 22-Feb-10 using an environmental chamber set to product conditions of 23.0C and 85.0%RH. The test was terminated after 6 data points were obtained for each of the 5 specimens under test. The results are recorded in Table 3.
Table 3: Water Vapour transmission results
| Specimen No | WVT (ug/m2.s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 280 |
| 2 | 320 |
| 3 | 290 |
| 4 | 340 |
| 5 | 280 |
| Average | 300 |
AS 2498.6 Determination of dimensional stability
Three specimens 100mm x 100mm x 25mm (nominal), suppled by the client were tested. The length (L) and width (W) of each test specimen were measure at three positions. Two length and width measurements were made 10mm from each edge and the third measure at the centre of each edge. Thickness (T) was measure at five positions, 10mm from each corner and at the centre of each speciment. The specimens were conditioned in an oven set at 70C (dry), measurements were taken aft 20 + 1h, 48 + 2 h, 7 days. The results are recorded in Table 4.
Table 4: Dimensional Stability results
| Percentage change | ||||
| Exposure period | 20 hrs | 48 hrs | 7 days | |
| Specimen 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thickness (mm) | T1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| T2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Average | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Length (mm) | L1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| L2 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| L3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Average | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Width (mm) | W1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| W2 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| W3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Average | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Specimen 2 | ||||
| Thickness (mm) | T1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| T2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T4 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| T5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Average | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Length (mm) | L1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| L2 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| L3 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Average | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Width (mm) | W1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| W2 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| W3 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Average | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Specimen 3 | ||||
| Thickness (mm) | T1 | 0.0 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| T2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| T5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Average | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Length (mm) | L1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| L2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| L3 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Average | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
| Width (mm) | W1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| W2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| W3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Average | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
No visual distortion was detected at any of the exposure periods
References
AS 2498.3 – 1993 Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics
Method 3: Determination of compressive stress.
AS 2498.4 – 1993 Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics
Method 4: Determination of cross-breaking strength.
AS 2498.5 - 1993 Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics
Method 5: Determination of water vapour transmission rate.
AS 2498.6 - 1993 Methods of testing rigid cellular plastics
Method 6: Determination of dimensional stability.
