Static physical testing does not tell the entire story about how a material will work in a particular application. Rarely will an application resemble a static test such as tensile strength. In use, parts will see combinations of affects, i.e. tearing and abrasion, while in dynamic situations. That being said, static testing gives the end user a general idea of a material’s performance characteristics and establishes a starting point in the design process.

Pleiger Plastics provides testing services for:

Tensile Testing (ASTM D 412), also known as tension testing, subjects the specimen to controlled tension until failure. Ultimate elongation, or how far the material can stretch, is measured during this test as well.

Tensile Specimen

Tensile (ASTM D 412) Test

Tensile (ASTM D 412) Test 2


Tear Strength Testing measures the materials resistance to tearing while the machine is pulling the specimen apart. Die C, Notched Die B, Trouser and Split Tear tests are 4 specimens used to calculate the maximum force required to tear a material. The Die C test, while it is the most common method, experience tells us that it is not as strong an indicator of field performance as the Trouser Tear test

Die C Specimen (ASTM D 624)

Die C Test (ASTM D 624)

Trouser (ASTM D1938-14) Test

Trouser (ASTM D1938-14) Specimen

Split Test (ASTM D 470) 

Split Tear Specimen (ASTM D 470) 

Notched Die 


Taber Abrasion Test (ASTM D 1044-78) measures the material resistance to wear/abrasion by rubbing or scraping. The taber test involves two abrasive wheels that are lowered onto the specimen, and as the platform rotates, the test material begins to abrade away and wear marks become visible. Taber abrasion is measured in mg loss.

One should note wheel, load, and cycles to make comparisons. Taber results should be thought of in ranges, not in hard quantitative results. Meaning 20mg and 22mg are effectively the same but 20mg and 40mg are significantly different.

Taber Abrasion (ASTM D 1044-78)

Taber Abrasion 2 (ASTM D 1044-78)

Taber Abrasion Weight Loss (ASTM D 1044-78)

Bayshore Resilience (ASTM D 2632) measures the rebound characteristics of an elastomer by bouncing a projectile on a sample part. High Bayshore resilience generally implies low heat buildup in the material when used at high speeds under high loads. Bayshore resilience is measured in % rebound.

Chemical Resistance Testing: Pleiger Plastics can test a compound’s resistance to specific chemicals that the end user is exposing it to, and when possible, under application conditions. Beside the chemical itself, there are a multitude of factors which can affect chemical resistance of an elastomer such as: ambient temperature, strain, method of exposure, duration of exposure etc. Please reference the Chemical Resistance Chart to see the chemicals already tested by Pleiger on Plei-Tech® urethanes. (Link to Chemical resistance.jpg in A5)

Resilience Test (ASTM D 2632)

Resilience Test 2 (ASTM D 2632)


Analytic Chemistry

Along with Mechanical testing, Pleiger offers analytical testing to identify chemical composition of urethanes.

For more information on all of our polyurethane testing services, please contact us today.