🔩 Tensile properties of plastic films and sheets less than 1 mm thick — type 2 strip or type 5, 1B and 4 dumb-bells, thickness measured according to ISO 4593 or ISO 4591, PN-EN ISO 527-3

Materials and NDT PN-EN ISO 527-3

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. We have a preview of ISO 527-3:2018 (second edition) — from the foreword to Clause 11; PN-EN ISO 527-3:2019-01 introduces the text unchanged (IDT). Scope (Clause 1): conditions for determining the tensile properties of plastic films or sheets less than 1 mm thick, based on the general principles of ISO 527-1; for sheets thicker than 1 mm — ISO 527-2. The standard is normally not suitable for cellular materials or plastics reinforced by textile fibres. Foreword: the 2018 edition is a minor revision of the 1995 edition — it incorporates the corrigenda Cor.1:1998 and Cor.2:2001, updates the references to ISO 527-1, interchanges Clauses 3 and 4 and is editorially revised. For the principle, number of specimens, conditioning, procedure and calculation the standard refers to ISO 527-1:2012 (except its 10.3 and 10.4 for the calculation).

APPARATUS AND SPECIMENS (Clauses 5–6 of the preview). Tensile-testing machine according to ISO 527-1; films and sheets are normally tested at 5, 50, 100, 200, 300 or 500 mm/min; with thin sheets and films the specimen must not carry the weight of the extensometer. Thickness is measured with a device according to ISO 4593, and for very thin film (less than 0.01 mm) or embossed film — gravimetrically according to ISO 4591 (the average thickness is taken as the specimen thickness). Preferred specimen — type 2: a strip 10–25 mm wide and at least 150 mm long, with two gauge marks 50 mm apart (± 0.5 mm), initial distance between grips 100 mm ± 5 mm — for films with very high elongation it may be reduced to 50 mm. When the material specification or quality control requires it — dumb-bells: type 5 (for film and sheet with very high strain at break; narrow portion 6 mm, gauge length 25 mm, grips 80 mm), type 4 (for other flexible thermoplastic sheet; narrow portion 25.4 mm, gauge length 50 mm, grips 98 mm) and type 1B (for rigid sheets; narrow portion 10 mm, gauge length 50 mm, grips 115 mm). Strips are cut or punched so that the edges are smooth and free from notches (checked with a low-power magnifier; razor blades, paper cutters, scalpels; punch dies kept sharp and used with backing material), dumb-bells only with punch dies; gauge marks with a marking device with two parallel edges 0.05–0.10 mm wide, bevelled at not more than 15°, ink may be added. For anisotropic films two groups of specimens are tested — parallel and perpendicular to the direction of orientation. The precision of the method is not known (no interlaboratory data).

STATUS (state of the cards on 29 September 2026). The card of PN-EN ISO 527-3:2019-01 (English version) has no "Wycofana" (withdrawn) header — the edition is CURRENT: published 17-01-2019, 18 pages, price group J, Chemical Sector, PKN technical committee KT 168 (Plastic Products), ICS 83.140.10, "Introduces: EN ISO 527-3:2018 [IDT], ISO 527-3:2018 [IDT]", "Supersedes: PN-EN ISO 527-3:1998 - Polish version". Card of PN-EN ISO 527-3:1998 (Polish version): "withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN ISO 527-3:2019-01 - English version", published 10-12-1998, "Withdrawal date: 17-01-2019", 9 pages, "Introduces: EN ISO 527-3:1995 [IDT], ISO 527-3:1995 [IDT]", "Supersedes: PN-C-89092:1981, PN-C-89034:1981", additional element PN-EN ISO 527-3:1998/AC:2002 (withdrawn).

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17 September 2026, read on 28 September 2026). All records of number 527-3: 17 entries at 13 laboratories. The 2019-01 edition — 9 laboratories (AB 185 writes ":2019", AB 1801 adds "EN ISO 527-3:2018"), the 1998 edition — AB 023 (two entries) and AB 261, without the year — AB 008, AB 023 and AB 041. The "Laboratories" tab searches for records BEGINNING with "PN-EN ISO 527-3" and will show 11 laboratories — checked with the tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 29 September 2026: 11; AB 005 and AB 1376 remain outside it (they record a string beginning with PN-EN ISO 527-1 or PN-C-89258-1). Current scopes on the PCA website (read on 29 September 2026, issues from 3 April 2025 to 27 July 2026): all entries stand in the valid issues, every pair of range limits from the copy appears in the current document and no entry is suspended.

TEST ITEM AND RANGES. Plastic films (also multilayer and viscose films) — AB 008, AB 185, AB 1447; films and sheets — AB 237, AB 1376; geomembranes and films — AB 1801; products of plastics and rubber (films, profiled films, fabrics, nonwovens, geomembranes, membranes, mats, tapes, sheets, laminates, gaskets) — AB 023; protective plastic coatings on steel pipes and fittings — AB 041 (alongside PN-EN 12068, PN-EN 10290, DIN 30670); electrotechnical materials — AB 067; pipes and fittings — AB 163; plastics, composites, rubber — AB 001, AB 005, AB 261. Seal strength of films with this standard and PN-C-89258-1:1997 — AB 185 ("seal tear strength index", clause 3.18) and AB 1376. Quantities determined: tensile strength, yield stress, stress and strain at break, tensile modulus (AB 023 — "type 2 and 5", AB 1447 — "1 % secant"). Loads: from (0.1 - 5000) N (AB 185) and 2.5 kN (AB 1376) to 300 kN (AB 005) and (0.02 – 400) kN (AB 001).

ALONGSIDE THIS STANDARD. Parts 3 and 2 are both in the scopes of 11 of the 13 laboratories, 9 in the same entry (AB 001, AB 005, AB 023, AB 041, AB 067, AB 163, AB 237, AB 261, AB 1801), AB 008 and AB 1376 in separate entries (PN-EN ISO 527-2 has a separate Knowledge Base entry); part 1 — general principles (PN-EN ISO 527-1, a separate entry) — stands next to them almost always. Part 3 without part 2 in the entry: for films — AB 008 (alone), AB 185, AB 1376 and AB 1447 (with part 1); for plastics — AB 023 (alone, tensile modulus, types 2 and 5). AB 001, AB 005, AB 067 and AB 163 cite the whole series — parts 1–5 — in one entry.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. Clauses 7–10 of the preview refer to ISO 527-1, whose text we do not repeat here (number of specimens, conditioning, procedure, calculation; the PN-EN ISO 527-1 entry is separate); we also do not give the content of the test report (Clause 12 — outside the preview).

Method principle

A film or sheet specimen (thickness up to 1 mm) — a type 2 strip or a type 5, 1B or 4 dumb-bell — is stretched in a tensile-testing machine at constant speed (normally 5–500 mm/min), force and elongation between the gauge marks are recorded, and tensile strength, yield stress, stress and strain at break and tensile modulus are determined from them according to the general principles of ISO 527-1. Part 3 sets the specimen shapes, their cutting and marking and the thickness measurement (ISO 4593, for very thin films ISO 4591).

Applications

• Films, multilayer films, geomembranes and plastic sheets thinner than 1 mm — in the scopes of 13 laboratories
• Seal strength of films — with PN-C-89258-1:1997 (AB 185, AB 1376)
• Protective plastic coatings on steel pipes and fittings (AB 041), electrotechnical materials (AB 067)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN ISO 527-3:2019-01 (wersja angielska; EN ISO 527-3:2018, ISO 527-3:2018 IDT)

Title (PL)

Tworzywa sztuczne — Oznaczanie właściwości przy rozciąganiu — Część 3: Warunki badań folii i płyt

Title (EN)

Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 3: Test conditions for films and sheets

Step-by-step procedure

1. Thickness measurement

   Thickness according to ISO 4593; for film thinner than 0.01 mm or embossed film — average gravimetric thickness according to ISO 4591.

2. Specimen preparation

   Type 2 strip (10–25 mm × ≥ 150 mm) or a type 5, 1B or 4 dumb-bell with a punch die; smooth edges free from notches (checked with a magnifier); specimens with flaws are discarded; for anisotropy — two groups, along and across the orientation.

3. Gauge marks

   Two lines 50 mm apart (type 5 — 25 mm) with a device whose edges are 0.05–0.10 mm wide and bevelled at ≤ 15°; ink not affecting the film is permitted.

4. Tensile test

   Conditioning, number of specimens and procedure according to ISO 527-1; speed normally 5–500 mm/min; distance between grips 100 mm (type 2).

5. Results

   Calculation according to ISO 527-1 except its 10.3 and 10.4; precision of the method unknown.

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• With films of very high elongation the specimen breaks suddenly — machine guards and a suitable force transducer range
• SUBSTANTIVE NOTE: part 3 applies to materials thinner than 1 mm; for thicker sheets part 2 applies — when asking for the test, state the thickness of the material

Frequently asked questions