ISO 17855-2:2016

Overview

ISO 17855-2:2016 - Plastics - Polyethylene (PE) moulding and extrusion materials - Part 2: Preparation of test specimens and determination of properties specifies standardized methods for preparing test specimens and determining the physical and mechanical properties of polyethylene (PE) used in moulding and extrusion. The standard defines handling, conditioning and specimen‑preparation procedures (injection and compression moulding), and lists the test methods appropriate to characterize PE moulding and extrusion materials. Using the specified methods is essential to obtain reproducible, comparable test data.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Specimen preparation methods
  • Injection moulding for materials with MFR ≥ 1 g/10 min (ISO 1133‑1): recommended conditions include melt temperature 210 °C, mould temperature 40 °C, injection velocity 100 ± 20 mm/s, cooling time 35 ± 5 s, cycle time 40 ± 5 s (see ISO 294 series).
  • Compression moulding for materials with MFR < 1 g/10 min, or for thin specimens (≤ 2 mm): typical conditions include moulding temperature 180 °C, controlled cooling rate ≤ 40 °C/min, and full pressure 5 MPa (frame mould) or 10 MPa (positive mould) with preheating time 5–15 min (ISO 293).
• Conditioning
  • Unfilled PE: minimum 16 h at 23 °C ± 2 °C (no RH requirement).
  • Filled/additive‑sensitive materials: 16 h at 23 °C ± 2 °C and 50 ± 10% RH.
  • Test atmosphere: generally 23 °C ± 2 °C, with RH control for moisture‑sensitive compositions.
• Property determination
  • Properties selected from ISO 10350‑1 and other established test methods (e.g., MFR/MVR, density, tensile, flexural, impact, creep, environmental stress cracking).
  • Specimens may be machined or stamped from compression‑moulded sheets per ISO 2818; bar specimens per ISO 20753 are recommended for better precision.
• Reproducibility note
  • Results are comparable only when using the specified specimen dimensions, conditioning and procedures; different preparation can yield different values.

Applications and users

ISO 17855-2:2016 is used by:

• Polyethylene manufacturers for material characterization and quality control.
• Independent test laboratories to provide comparable property data.
• Product designers and engineers specifying PE for injection‑moulded or extruded components.
• Purchasing/specification teams creating material data sheets and contractual specifications.
• Regulators and certification bodies when assessing material conformance.

Practical applications include selection of PE grades for packaging, pipes, fittings, consumer goods and performance assessments like stiffness, impact resistance, creep and environmental stress cracking.

Related standards

• ISO 17855‑1 (designation system and basis for specifications)
• ISO 10350‑1 (data acquisition/presentation)
• ISO 1133‑1 (MFR/MVR)
• ISO 294 series (injection moulding)
• ISO 293 (compression moulding)
• ISO 2818 (machining/ specimen preparation)
• ISO 1183 (density methods)
• ISO 527, ISO 178, ISO 179, ISO 16770 (key property tests)

Keywords: ISO 17855-2:2016, polyethylene, PE moulding and extrusion materials, test specimens, conditioning, injection moulding, compression moulding, MFR, mechanical properties, material characterization.