This method is used to investigate the
tear strength of flexible cellular polymeric materials that have a specified thickness. This test is for the determination of peak force and the tear strength characteristics of the product for a given rate of displacement.
In principle, the test specimen is clamped in the jaws of the testing machine, making sure that the test specimen is properly gripped. A force is applied at a constant rate of displacement - tearing the specimen until fracture. The tear force is calculated from the force peaks. We recommend using a high-speed intelligent test data logging rate. This is the transfer rate to the PC of 100Hz or more to capture and record all the peaks and troughs.
We used pneumatic action grips with rubber coated jaw faces for clamping of the material fitted to a tensile testing machine. While manual action grips will work, many of our users prefer the pneumatic action grips for ease of use, productivity, and better repeatability. Pneumatic action grips allow you to set a clamping pressure, while the manually operated grips depend on the operator's strength (which may not be so repeatable). We find that gripping pressure and specimen alignment are very important in these tests. Too much gripping pressure can produce premature breaks, while not enough gripping pressure can lead to specimen slippage or breaks at or near the jaws. These grips are usually fitted to single-column or dual-column design. Testing software, such as Bluehill® 2, is used to input specimen details, set the desired test control, automatically calculate the desired results and statistics, and produce a test report all in accordance with the standard
We suggest reviewing ISO 8067 to fully understand the test fixture and results requirements.