ASTM D1238-13
Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer

Standard No.

ASTM D1238-13

Release Date

2013

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM D1238-20

Latest

ASTM D1238-23a

Scope

4.1 This test method is particularly useful for quality control tests on thermoplastics.

4.2 The data produced by this test method serves to indicate the uniformity of the flow rate of the polymer as made by an individual process. It is not to be used as an indication of uniformity of other properties without valid correlation with data from other tests.

4.3 The flow rate obtained with the extrusion plastometer is not a fundamental polymer property. It is an empirically defined parameter critically influenced by the physical properties and molecular structure of the polymer and the conditions of measurement. The rheological characteristics of polymer melts depend on a number of variables. It is possible that the values of these variables occurring in this test will differ substantially from those in large-scale processes, which would result in data that does not correlate directly with processing behavior.

4.4 Measure the flow rate of a material using any of the conditions listed for the material in X4.1. For many materials, there are specifications that require the use of this test method, but with some procedural modifications that take precedence when adhering to the specification. Therefore, it is advisable to refer to that material specification before using this test method. Table 1 in Classification D4000 lists the ASTM materials standards that currently exist. An alternative test method for poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) compounds is found in Test Method D3364.

4.5 Additional characterization of a material can be obtained if more than one condition is used. In the case that two or more conditions are employed, a Flow Rate Ratio (FRR) is obtained by dividing the flow rate at one condition by the flow rate at another condition. Procedure D provides one method to measure more than one condition in a single charge.

4.6 Frequently, variations in test technique, apparatus geometry, or test conditions, which defy all but the most careful scrutiny, exist, causing discrepancies in flow rate determinations. A troubleshooting guide is found in Appendix X2 and it is a resource to be used to identify sources of test error.

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the rate of extrusion of molten thermoplastic resins using an extrusion plastometer. After a specified preheating time, resin is extruded through a die with a specified length and orifice diameter under prescribed conditions of temperature, load, and piston position in the barrel. Four procedures are described. Comparable results have been obtained by these procedures in interlaboratory round-robin measurements of several materials and are described in Section 15.

1.2 Procedure A is used to determine the melt flow rate (MFR) of a thermoplastic material. The units of measure are grams of material/10 minutes (g/10 min). It is based on the measurement of the mass of material t......

ASTM D1238-13 Referenced Document

• ASTM D3364 Standard Test Method for Flow Rates for Poly(Vinyl Chloride) with Molecular Structural Implications
• ASTM D4000 Standard Classification System for Specifying Plastic Materials
• ASTM D618 Standard Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
• ASTM D883 Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics
• ASTM E691 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
• ISO 1133 Plastics - Determination of the melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and the melt volume-flow rate (MVR) of thermoplastics; Technical Corrigendum 1

ASTM D1238-13 history

• 2023 ASTM D1238-23a Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2023 ASTM D1238-23 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2020 ASTM D1238-20 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2013 ASTM D1238-13 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2010 ASTM D1238-10 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2004 ASTM D1238-04c Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2004 ASTM D1238-04b Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2004 ASTM D1238-04a Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2004 ASTM D1238-04 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2001 ASTM D1238-01e1 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 2000 ASTM D1238-00 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 1990 ASTM D1238-90b Standard Test Method for Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer
• 1985 ASTM D1238-85 Standard Test Method for Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer