INTERNATIONAL ISO

STANDARD 13586

Second edition
2018-08

Plastics — Determination of fracture

toughness (GIC and KIC) — Linear
elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)
approach
Plastiques — Détermination de la ténacité à la rupture (GIC et KIC) —
Application de la mécanique linéaire élastique de la rupture (LEFM)
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Reference number
ISO 13586:2018(E)

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Contents Page

Foreword......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... iv
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v
1 Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references....................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
4 Test specimens........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
4.1 Shape and size.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
4.2 Preparation................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
4.3 Notching......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
4.4 Conditioning............................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
5 Testing.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
5.1 Testing machine...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
5.2 Load indicator........................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
5.3 Displacement transducer................................................................................................................................................................ 6
5.4 Loading rigs................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
5.5 Displacement correction................................................................................................................................................................. 7
5.6 Test atmosphere.................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
5.7 Thickness, width and crack length of test specimens......................................................................................... 10
5.8 Test conditions...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
6 Expression of results......................................................................................................................................................................................10
6.1 Determination of FQ ........................................................................................................................................................................ 10
6.2 Provisional result GQ ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
6.3 Provisional result KQ ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
6.4 Size criteria and validation of results................................................................................................................................ 11
6.5 Cross-check of results..................................................................................................................................................................... 12
7 Precision..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
8 Test report................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Annex A (normative) Calibration factors.......................................................................................................................................................15
Annex B (informative) Testing of plastics containing short fibres......................................................................................17
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22

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Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www​.iso​.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www​.iso​.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
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expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www​.iso​
.org/iso/foreword​.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 2,
Mechanical behaviour.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 13586:2000), which has been technically
revised. It also incorporates the Amendment ISO 13586:2000/Amd.1:2003, with the introduction of a
new Annex B.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www​.iso​.org/members​.html.

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Introduction
This document is based on a testing protocol developed by the European Structural Integrity Society
(ESIS), Technical Committee 4, Polymers, Polymer Composites and Adhesives, who carried out the
preliminary enabling research through a series of round-robin exercises which covered a range of
material samples, specimen geometries, test instruments and operational conditions. This activity
involved nearly 10 laboratories from different countries. See References [1] and [3].
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 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13586:2018(E)

Plastics — Determination of fracture toughness (GIC and

KIC) — Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) approach

1 Scope
This document specifies the principles for determining the fracture toughness of plastics in the crack-
opening mode (mode I) under defined conditions. Two test methods with cracked specimens are
defined, namely three-point-bending tests and compact-specimen tensile tests in order to suit different
types of equipment available or different types of material.
The methods are suitable for use with the following range of materials, including their compounds
containing short fibres of the length ≤ 7,5 mm:
— rigid and semi-rigid thermoplastic moulding, extrusion and casting materials;
— rigid and semi-rigid thermosetting moulding and casting materials.
In general, short fibre lengths of 0,1 mm to 7,5 mm are known to cause heterogeneity and anisotropy
in the crack tip fracture process zone. Therefore, where relevant, Annex B offers some guidelines to
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extend the application of the same testing procedure, with some reservations, to rigid and semi-rigid
thermoplastic or thermosetting plastics containing such short fibres.
Certain restrictions on the linearity of the load-displacement diagram, on the specimen width and on
the thickness are imposed to ensure validity (see 6.4) since the scheme used assumes linear elastic
behaviour of the cracked material and a state of plane strain at the crack tip. Finally, the crack needs
to be sharp enough so that an even sharper crack does not result in significantly lower values of the
measured properties.

2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 527-1, Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 1: General principles
ISO 604, Plastics — Determination of compressive properties
ISO 2818, Plastics — Preparation of test specimens by machining
ISO 7500-1, Metallic materials — Calibration and verification of static uniaxial testing machines — Part 1:
Tension/compression testing machines — Calibration and verification of the force-measuring system
ISO 9513, Metallic materials — Calibration of extensometer systems used in uniaxial testing

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/

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3.1
energy release rate
G
change in the external work δUext and strain energy δUs of a deformed body due to enlargement of the
cracked area δA
δU ext δU s
G= −
δA δA
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in joules per square metre, J/m2.

3.2
critical energy release rate
GIC
value of the energy release rate (3.1) in a precracked specimen under plane-strain loading conditions,
when the crack starts to grow
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in joules per square metre, J/m2.

3.3
stress intensity factor
K
limiting value of the product of the stress σ(r) perpendicular to the crack area at a distance r from the
crack tip and of the square root of 2πr, for small values of r

K = lim σ ( r ) × 2πr
r →0
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in Pa × √m.

Note 2 to entry: The term factor is used here because it is common usage, even though the value has dimensions.

3.4
critical stress intensity factor
KIC
value of the stress intensity factor (3.3) when the crack under load actually starts to enlarge under a
plane-strain loading condition around the crack tip
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in Pa × √m.

Note 2 to entry: The critical stress intensity factor KIC of a material is related to its critical energy release rate GIC
by the formula:

G IC = K IC
2
E

where E is the modulus of elasticity, determined under similar conditions of loading time (up to crack initiation)
and temperature.

In the case of plane-strain conditions:

Et
E=
1− µ2
where

Et is the tensile modulus (see ISO 527-1);

μ is Poisson’s ratio (see ISO 527-1).

2
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3.5
displacement
displacement of the loading device
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in metres, m.

Note 2 to entry: In the fracture test, the displacement of the loading device is designated as sa. The displacement
of the loading device corrected as specified in 5.4, is designated as s.

Note 3 to entry: In the indentation test, the displacement of the loading device is designated as sai.

3.6
stiffness
S
initial slope of the force-displacement diagram

 dF 
S = 
 ds  s →0
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in newtons per metre, N/m.

3.7
force
FQ
applied load at the initiation of crack growth
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in newtons, N.

Note 2 to entry: See also 6.1.

3.8
energy
WB
input energy when crack growth initiates
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in joules, J.

Note 2 to entry: WB is based upon the corrected load-displacement curve.

3.9
crack length
a
crack length up to the tip of the initial crack
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in metres, m.

Note 2 to entry: The initial crack is prepared as specified in 4.3.

Note 3 to entry: For three-point-bending test specimens, the crack length is measured from the notched face. For
compact tensile-test specimens, the crack length is measured from the load line, i.e. from the line through the
centres of the holes for the loading pins (see Figures 1 and 2).

Note 4 to entry: The crack length a is normalized by the width w of the test specimen (α = a/w).

3.10
energy calibration factor
ϕ
factor to account for the crack length dependent stiffness of the test specimen, given by the formula:
−1
 dS 
φ (a w ) = − S  
 dα 

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where

S is the stiffness of the specimen;

α (= a/w) is the normalized crack length (see 3.9).

Note 1 to entry: Values of ϕ (a/w) are given in Annex A for both types of specimen.

3.11
geometry calibration factor
f
factor to account for the configuration and the dimensions of the test specimen
Note 1 to entry: Values of f (a/w) are given in Annex A for both types of specimen.

3.12
characteristic length
r
size of the plastic deformation zone around the crack tip
Note 1 to entry: It is required for checking fulfilment of the size criteria (see 6.4).

4 Test specimens

4.1 Shape and size

Test specimens for three-point-bending tests [also called single-edge-notch bending (SENB)] and for
compact tensile (CT) tests shall be prepared in accordance with Figure 1 and Figure 2, respectively.
It is usually convenient to make the thickness h of the test specimens equal to the thickness of a sheet
sample and to make the test specimen width w equal to 2h. The crack length a should preferably be in
the range given by 0,45 ≤ a/w ≤ 0,55.

4.2 Preparation
Test specimens shall be prepared in accordance with the relevant material International Standard for
the material under test and in accordance with ISO 2818. In the case of anisotropic specimens, take
care to indicate the reference direction on each test specimen.
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Key
w width
l overall length l > 4,2w
h thickness w/4 < h < w/2
a crack length 0,45w ≤ a ≤ 0,55w

Figure 1 — Three-point-bending (SENB) test specimen

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Key
w width
W overall width W = 1,25w ± 0,01w
l1 length l1 = 1,2w ± 0,01w
l2 distance between centres of two holes located l2 = 0,55w ± 0,005w
symmetrically to the crack plane
R radius R = 0,125w ± 0,005w
h thickness 0,4w < h < 0,6w
a crack length 0,45w ≤ a ≤ 0,55w
(The loading pins and holes shall be smooth and a loose fit to minimize friction.)

Figure 2 — Compact tensile (CT) test specimen

4.3 Notching
Method a), b) or c) can be used for notching.
a) Machine a sharp notch into the test specimen and then generate a natural crack by tapping on a
new razor blade placed in the notch (it is essential to practice this since, in brittle test specimens,

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a natural crack can be generated by this process, but some skill is required in avoiding too long
a crack or local damage). The length of the crack thus created shall be more than four times the
original notch tip radius.
b) If a natural crack cannot be generated, as in tough test specimens, then sharpen the notch by sliding
a razor blade across the notch. Use a new razor blade for each test specimen. The length of the crack
thus created shall be more than four times the original notch tip radius.
c) Cooling tough test specimens and then performing razor tapping is sometimes successful.
Pressing the blade into the notch is not recommended because of induced residual stresses.

4.4 Conditioning
Condition test specimens as specified in the International Standard for the material under test, unless
otherwise agreed upon by the interested parties. In the absence of this information, the preferred
atmosphere is (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 10) % relative humidity, except when the properties of the material
are known to be insensitive to moisture, in which case humidity control is unnecessary.

5 Testing

5.1 Testing machine

The machine shall comply with ISO 7500-1 and ISO 9513, and meet the specifications given in 5.2 to 5.4.

5.2 Load indicator

The load measurement system shall comply with class 1 as defined in ISO 7500-1. The load indicator
shall show the total load carried by the test specimen. This device shall be essentially free from inertia
lag at the test speeds used. It shall indicate the load with an accuracy of at least 1 % of the actual value.

5.3 Displacement transducer

The displacement is recorded during the test. The continuously measuring displacement transducer
shall be essentially free from inertia lag at the test speeds used. It shall be able to measure the relevant
displacement within class 1 of ISO 9513 or better. The effects of the displacement transducer on the
load measurement shall be < 1 % of the load reading or they shall be corrected.

5.4 Loading rigs

A rig with moving rollers is used for three-point-bending (SENB) tests, as shown in Figure 3. Indentation
into the test specimen is minimized by the use of rollers with a large diameter (>w/2). The measurement
of the displacement shall be taken at the centre of the span L (see Figure 3).
For the compact tensile test, the test specimen is loaded by means of two pins in holes in the specimen.
The displacement of the load points during the test is measured, for example by a clip gauge near the
pins (see 5.3).

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Key

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L span between rollers L = 4w ± 0,1w 1 distance monitored by displacement transducer
R radius w/8 < R < w/2 2 bosses for rubber bands
h thickness

Figure 3 — Rig with two rollers and displacement transducer for three-point-bending
(SENB) tests

5.5 Displacement correction

The measured displacement sa shall be corrected for the indentation of the loading pins, compression
of the test specimen and the machine compliance in order to determine properly the stiffness S of
the specimen and the work WB at crack growth initiation. The calibration of the test system shall be
performed as follows.
The load-displacement correction curve (see Figure 4) is generated by analogy with the fracture test
but by using unnotched test specimens, as indicated in Figure 5 and Figure 6. The rollers of the three-
point-bending rig are moved together to reduce even further the small flexing of the unnotched test
specimen under load. The displacement correction shall be performed for each material and at each
different temperature and test speed since polymers are generally sensitive to temperature and test
speed. The degree of loading-pin penetration and specimen compression can vary with changes in
these variables. The indentation tests shall be performed such that the loading times are the same as
in the fracture tests. This will involve lower test speeds to reach the same load in the same time, for
example about half the speed.
In practice, a linear correction curve is usually obtained up to loads even exceeding the fracture load
of cracked test specimens (see Figure 4). Any initial nonlinearity due to penetration of the loading pins

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into the specimen is observed during both the calibration test and the actual fracture test. Therefore,
the initial nonlinearity is effectively corrected for by the following proposed method.
At corresponding load, the displacement sj taken from the correction curve is subtracted from the
displacement sa in the actual fracture test with a notched test specimen. In this way, the corrected load-
displacement curve is constructed. The stiffness S and the energy WB at crack growth initiation are
derived from this curve (see Figure 7). The corrections sj of the displacements usually amount to less
than 20 % of the measured displacement sa.

Key
sai indentation displacement
F load

Figure 4 — Load-indentation curve determined on an unnotched test specimen

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Figure 5 — Arrangement for determining the indentation displacement of a bending-test

specimen

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Figure 6 — Arrangement for determining the indentation displacement of a compact tensile

specimen

Key
s displacement
F load
S stiffness
FQ is the load at crack growth initiation
WB is the energy to break

Figure 7 — Load-displacement curve for a notched test specimen (the displacement has been
corrected for indentation effects)

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5.6 Test atmosphere

Conduct the test in the same atmosphere as used for conditioning, unless otherwise agreed upon by the
interested parties, for example for testing at elevated or low temperatures.

5.7 Thickness, width and crack length of test specimens

Measure the thickness h and width w of each test specimen to the nearest 0,02 mm. Record an
approximate reading of the crack length a which will be corrected on completion of the test. Usually
crack tip lines are visible on the two fracture surfaces. Calculate the mean value of five readings of
the crack length taken along the original crack front. These shall be taken at the edges, the centre and
half way between. The crack length shall differ by no more than 10 % over the entire crack front. If
differences larger than 10 % are found, reject the test. Care shall be taken that it is the original crack tip
which is being observed since slow growth can occur.

5.8 Test conditions

It is recommended that (23 ± 2) °C and a test speed of (10 ± 20 %) mm/min be used as the basic test
conditions. In all cases, the loading time and the test temperature shall be measured. Speeds greater
than 0,1 m/s and loading times less than 10 ms should preferably be avoided since dynamic effects may
cause errors.
Carry out at least three tests for each set of conditions. If it is not possible to obtain valid results at 23 °C
(see 6.4), it is often possible to do so by decreasing the temperature. Usually, a reduction in the test
temperature does not change KIC greatly but increases the yield stress of the polymer, rendering the
fractures more brittle. If this procedure is used, both temperature and loading time shall be stated in
the test report.

6 Expression of results

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6.1 Determination of FQ
In an ideal material, the load-displacement curve is a linear one with an abrupt drop in the load at the
instant of crack growth initiation. In such rather rare cases, FQ can be identified with the maximum load.
In most cases, there is some nonlinearity in the curve and this can be due to plastic deformation at the
crack tip, nonlinear elasticity, general visco-elasticity or stable crack growth after initiation but prior
to instability. The first three effects violate the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) assumption
and the fourth one means that the true initiation load is not defined by the maximum. In order to
circumvent a doubtful definition of initiation, an arbitrary rule is used here. The zero-point tangent is
drawn to the curve in Figure 7 to determine the initial stiffness S. This stiffness is reduced by 5 % and a
further line is drawn accordingly. If the maximum of the load-displacement curve falls within these two
lines, then Fmax shall be called FQ (the load at crack growth initiation). If the second line intersects the
load curve at F5 prior to the maximum, then F5 shall be called FQ. Referring to Figure 7, the conditions of
LEFM are assumed to be met if:
Fmax
< 1,1
F5
If this condition of 10 % nonlinearity is violated, the test shall be rejected.

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6.2 Provisional result GQ

Calculate the critical energy release rate from the energy WB up to the instant of crack growth initiation,
where the load is FQ and the original crack length is a:
WB
GQ = (1)
h× w ×φ (a w )
where

WB is the energy to break;

h is the test specimen thickness;

w is the test specimen width;

ϕ (a/w) is the energy calibration factor, depending on the crack length a.

Calculate ϕ as shown in Annex A. Tables with values of ϕ (a/w) for both types of test specimen are also
given in Annex A.

6.3 Provisional result KQ

Calculate the critical stress intensity factor KQ from the load FQ at crack growth initiation and the
original crack length a:
FQ
K Q = f (a w ) (2)
h w
where

FQ is the load at crack growth initiation;

h is the test specimen thickness;

w is the test specimen width;

f (a/w) is the geometry calibration factor, depending on the crack length a.

Calculate f as shown in Annex A. Tables with values of f (a/w) for both types of test specimen are also
given in Annex A.

6.4 Size criteria and validation of results

The test is valid only if the dimensions of the test specimen are significantly larger than the plastic zone
around the crack tip, characterized by the length r . Appropriate test specimens for plane-strain
fracture tests shall meet the following size criteria:

— thickness h > 2,5 × r

— crack length a > 2,5 × r

— ligament width (w – a) > 2,5 × r

With the specimen dimensions proposed in this document, all the criteria are usually satisfied
simultaneously. The criteria cover two limitations in that h must be sufficient to ensure plane strain
but (w – a) has to be sufficient to avoid excessive plasticity in the ligament. If (w – a) is too small, the
test will usually violate the linearity criterion, but will not necessarily do so. If the linearity criterion is
violated, a possible option is to increase w for the same h. Values of w/h of up to 4 are permitted.

 11
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Calculate the characteristic length r from either of the two provisional results GQ or KQ:

2 f 2φ SGQ
r= (3)
hσ 2y
or

K Q2
r= (4)
σ 2y
where

h is the test specimen thickness;

f is the geometry calibration factor;

ϕ is the energy calibration factor;

S is the test specimen stiffness, derived from the corrected curve (see 5.5);

σy is the uniaxial tensile yield stress (determined in accordance with ISO 527-1) or, alternatively,
0,7 times the compressive yield stress (determined in accordance with ISO 604).
If the criteria are met, the results of the test are valid, and thus
GQ = GIC and KQ = KIC

6.5 Cross-check of results

A cross-check on the accuracy of the results can be made since the modulus of elasticity E is related to
the stiffness S and to the mechanical fracture properties GIC and KIC as follows:

2 f 2φ S
E stiff = (5)
h

K IC
2
E fract = (6)
G IC
where

E is the modulus of elasticity (see 3.4);

f is the geometry calibration factor (see Annex A);

ϕ is the energy calibration factor (see Annex A);

h is the test specimen thickness;

S is the test specimen stiffness;

KIC is the critical stress intensity factor;

GIC is the critical energy release rate.

Usually, Estiff is slightly larger than Efract . If the difference exceeds 15 %, the results obtained for GIC
and KIC shall be examined for possible errors.

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7 Precision
Table 1 gives a set of data obtained by nine groups on a nylon. Most of the data was obtained in SENB
testing, and two forms of notching were used: razor sliding and razor tapping. The means of five tests
are given together with the standard deviations. The average standard deviations are 5 % for KIC and
12 % for GIC .

Table 1 — KIC and GIC measurements on a nylon

Specimen KIC (mean) GIC (mean) Estiff Efract
Group No. Notching
type MPa × √m kJ/m2 GPa GPa
1 SENB RS 4,14 ± 0,17 4,76 ± 0,98 3,65 3,65
RT 4,03 ± 0,10 3,92 ± 0,15 4,14 4,14
2 SENB RT 3,79 ± 0,08 4,01 ± 0,17 2,24a 3,58
3 SENB RS 3,84 ± 0,17 4,48 ± 0,70 3,32 3,33
RT 4,21 ± 0,26 4,82 ± 0,73 3,64 3,71
4 SENB RT 4,10 ± 0,35 5,14 ± 0,67 3,30 3,28
5 SENB RS 3,82 ± 0,21 4,20 ± 0,41 3,63 3,32
6 CT RT 4,46 ± 0,13 5,82 ± 0,24 3,57 3,42
7 SENB RT 3,99 ± 0,10 4,80 ± 0,46 — 3,32
8 SENB RT 3,9 ± 0,3 4,7 ± 0,8 3,22 3,21
9 SENB RT 4,10 ± 0,22 6,40 ± 0,8b — 2,63b
Mean 4,03 ± 0,19 4,82 ± 0,56
a Error suspected.
b Without indentation correction.
RS   Razor sliding.
RT   Razor tapping.

8 Test report
The test report shall contain the following:
a) a reference to this document i.e. ISO 13586;
b) all details necessary for complete identification of the material tested, including source and history;
c) the test specimen shape (SENB or CT) and dimensions;
d) the notching method used;
e) the test temperature and speed;
f) one example of a load-displacement curve;
g) the number of specimens tested;
h) the ratio Fmax/F5, if relevant (see 6.1), and the loading time;
i) the yield stress determination procedure used and the loading time;
j) the results of the size criteria assessment;
k) the critical energy release rate GIC and critical stress intensity factor KIC;
l) the values of Estiff and Efract;
m) any deviations from the requirements of this document;

 13
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n) the date of testing.

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 ISO 13586:2018(E)


Annex A
(normative)

Calibration factors

Table A.1 — Calibration factors f and ϕ for single-edge-notch bending (SENB) test specimens:
L/w = 4 (values calculated using Reference [6])
α f ϕ
0,05 2,50 1,502
0,10 3,39 0,857
0,15 4,07 0,641
0,20 4,70 0,526
0,25 5,36 0,449
0,30 6,09 0,391
0,35 6,93 0,345
0,40 7,93 0,307
0,45 9,14 0,275
0,50 10,65 0,246
0,55 12,57 0,220
0,60 15,09 0,195
0,65 18,51 0,170
0,70 23,40 0,145
0,75 30,84 0,120
0,80 43,21 0,096
0,85 66,76 0,072
0,90 123,30 0,049
0,95 351,62 0,025
L   is the span
α = a/w
where
   a   is the crack length;
   w   is the width.
Interpolation is recommended.

Formulae used for the calculation (SENB): 0 < α < 1:

f = 6α 12
(
1 , 99 − α (1 − α ) 2 , 15 − 3 , 93α + 2 , 7α 2 )
(1 + 2α ) (1 − α )3 2
A + 18 , 64
φ=
dA dα

A=
16α 2
(1 − α ) 2 (8 , 9 − 33,717α + 79, 616α 2
− 112 , 952α 3 + 84 , 815α 4 − 25 , 672α 5 )

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dA
=
16α 2
dα ( 1 − α ) 2
(
−33 , 717 + 159 , 232α − 338 , 856α 2 + 339 , 26α 3 − 128 , 36α 4 + )
32α
(1 − α ) 3 (8 , 9 − 33,717α + 79,616α 2
− 112 , 952α 3 + 84 , 815α 4 − 25 , 672α 5 )
Table A.2 — Calibration factors f and ϕ for compact tensile (CT) test specimens (values
calculated using Reference [7])
α f ϕ
0,25 4,92 0,199
0,30 5,62 0,208
0,35 6,39 0,213
0,40 7,28 0,213
0,45 8,34 0,208
0,50 9,66 0,199
0,55 11,36 0,186
0,60 13,65 0,170
0,65 16,86 0,152
0,70 21,55 0,133
0,75 28,86 0,112
α = a/w
where
   a   is the crack length;
   w   is the width.
Interpolation is recommended.

Formulae used for the calculation (CT): 0,2 < α < 0,8:

(2 + α )
32(
f= 0 , 886 + 4 , 64α − 13 , 32α 2 + 14 , 72α 3 − 5 , 6α 4 )
(1 − α )
A (1 − α )
φ=
B + 2A

(
A = 1 , 911 8 + 19 , 118α − 2 , 512 2α 2 − 23 , 226α 3 + 20 , 54α 4 )
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(
B = 19 , 118 − 5 , 024 4α − 69 , 678α 2 + 82 , 16α 3 (1 − α ) )

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Annex B
(informative)

Testing of plastics containing short fibres

B.1 General
This document is suitable for plastics that are substantially homogeneous and isotropic at the scale of
the fracture process (characterized by the length r , representing the size of the plastic deformation

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zone that normally develops ahead of the crack tip prior to fracture, as defined in 3.12). Plastics
containing short fibres, i.e. fibres having lengths in the range of about 0,1 mm to 7,5 mm (currently
identified as ‘short fibre-polymer composites’), do not generally meet these two conditions: they can be
borderline in respect of the homogeneity requirement [condition a)], as the fracture process zone has
dimensions comparable to the length of the fibres, and are generally not isotropic [condition b)] at a
scale even larger than the scale of the fracture process zone. Nevertheless, while the theoretical
background that underpins this document does not rigorously apply to this class of materials, data
obtained by tests performed according to the same may be useful under some limiting conditions.
The conditions to be met for tests on materials of this class to yield data useful for characterizing their
behaviour are the following.
a) Fibre dispersion to be substantially uniform, i.e. local fibre concentration to be substantially
constant throughout the sample (quasi-homogeneity). Should the material under test contain fibres
or fillers of different kinds (‘hybrid’ fibre composites), this requirement is intended to be met by
each of the individual components.
b) Fibre orientation to be essentially “in-plane” and substantially uniform throughout each layer of
the planar test piece (see Note 1) even though orientation varies from layer to layer through the
thickness of the plate.
c) Fibre orientation distribution through the thickness of the plate, characterizing the layered
microstructure of the material, to be substantially symmetrical with respect to the mid-plane of
the planar test piece.
These conditions are generally met in ordinary short fibre-polymer composites that are produced by
compounding polymer matrix and fibres and subsequently formed into the final product by ordinary
forming processes such as injection moulding, extrusion and lamination. However, both processes,
compounding and forming, can affect the internal microstructure of the material, in particular as to
fibre length and orientation, which significantly influence the mechanical properties of these materials
(see Note 2). The property determined by the test is therefore intended to be referred to the specific
microstructure of the material in the sample being tested.
NOTE 1 Consideration is limited here to material samples in the form of substantially plane plates with in-
plane dimensions greatly larger than the plate thickness.

NOTE 2 For this, the range of fibre length relevant to this testing, i.e. 0,1 mm to 7,5 mm, refers to the material
sample under test, that is after processing.

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B.2 Test specimens

B.2.1 Shape and size
Both test configurations recommended by this document, namely single-edge notched bending (SENB),
also called three-point-bending (TPB), and compact-tension (CT) can be used, with test specimen shape
and size conforming to the general specifications given in Clause 4.
However, with structured and anisotropic materials of the kind considered in this annex it is
necessary to specify the position of the initial crack (i.e. location of the crack plane and crack front
line and direction of crack growth) in relation to the inner structure of the material in the particular
configuration chosen for the test.
Furthermore, due to the local heterogeneity and anisotropy of the material, it may occur that the crack
front advances unevenly and the fracture plane deviates from the initial crack plane, in an unpredictable
way. Therefore, toughness shall be determined at fracture initiation only and shall be referred to the
initial position of the crack (crack plane and crack front line) before any crack growth has occurred.

B.2.2 Configuration
With plane plates produced by conventional plastics forming technologies (e.g. injection moulding,
extrusion, lamination) three main, mutually perpendicular, directions can be envisaged as relevant:
— L Longitudinal, i.e. the forming machine direction or mould filling direction.
— T Transverse, i.e. the forming machine width or mould width direction.
— S Short transverse, i.e. the through-thickness direction.
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Six main specimen configurations can thus be identified, designated L-T, T-L, L-S, S-L, T-S and S-T (see
Figure B.1), whereby the first letter designates the direction normal to the crack plane and the second
letter designates the expected direction of crack propagation. In practice, it is usually convenient to
cut the specimens with a thickness equal to the thickness of the plate produced, so only the L-T and T-L
specimens are normally examined.
NOTE This will provide limited assessment of toughness dependence on orientation.

a)   CT specimen b)   SENB specimen

NOTE The meaning of the letters is provided in B.2.2.

Figure B.1 — Specimen configurations in respect of the plate directions

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B.2.3 Notching
Notching is to preferably be performed according to method b) described in 4.3, using a sharp razor
blade. Generation of a natural pre-crack by tapping on a razor blade placed at the root of the notch, as
suggested in 4.3 a) and c), is difficult and risky with this class of materials. Tapping can easily produce
a pre-crack deviating from the plane of the original notch and with an irregular front line. On the other
hand, crack tip sharpness is generally less critical with this class of materials than with other classes
of plastics: a notch tip radius of ≤ 15 μm, as can be easily obtained by machining the notch with a fresh
razor blade, is usually sufficiently sharp. However, the quality of the notch and the damage produced in
front of it by the notching operation should be assessed by microscopic examination before or after the
test and reported.
The sharpness of the cutting edge of the blade needs to be regularly checked in view of the highly
wearing action exerted by the fibres contained in these materials.

B.3 Identification of fracture initiation

The point of crack growth initiation is to be detected from the trace of the recorded load-displacement
curve as described in 6.1.
In addition to the characteristic types of load-displacement records contemplated in 6.1, another case
is often observed with plastics containing short fibres: one or more abrupt drops in the load signal
followed by a further, often substantial, rise prior to the maximum load. This feature is generally
designated as “pop-in”. Prior to this load drop, the load-displacement curve may or may not deviate
from linearity, as illustrated in Figure B.2.

pop-in pop-in

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(a) (b)

Key
s displacement
F load
(a) not preceded by deviation from linearity
(b) preceded by deviation from linearity

Figure B.2 — Load-displacement curves displaying “pop-in”

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F
Fpop-in Fpop-in

ΔFpop-in ΔFpop-in
C1 el
C1el ΔC1el = C1el-C0
C0
ΔF
(a) (b)
Δs Cel=
Δs
ΔF

C0 C0
s
Key
s displacement
F load
Cel elastic compliance
C0 initial compliance

Figure B.3 — Definitions of initial compliance, C0, and elastic compliance after first pop-in, C 1el ,
for both load-displacement curve types (a) and (b) depicted in Figure B.2

If the elastic compliance of the test specimen, as manifested by the reciprocal slope of the recorded
force-displacement curve (Figure B.3), has increased after the pop-in proportionally to the relative
load drop occurred at pop-in, it can then be assumed that crack growth has occurred and the abrupt
load drop corresponds to an arrested unstable crack extension. Although the physics may be different,
the phenomenology is similar to the case of the “pop-in” phenomenon sometimes observed in metals as
well as in neat plastics.
As spurious discontinuities in the force versus displacement record may arise also from other sources,
the observed ‘apparent’ pop-in is assumed to indicate fracture initiation only if the two following
conditions are verified:
a) the load drop at pop-in, |ΔF|, is not less than 5 % of the value of the force at pop-in, Fpop-in, i.e. |ΔF|/
Fpop-in ≥ 0,05;
b) the relative change in elastic compliance at pop-in, ΔCel/Cel, is equal to the relative load drop |ΔF|/
Fpop-in.
When this is observed, the value of the force at “pop-in”, Fpop-in, is taken as FQ.
If more than one pop-ins are observed, the first one satisfying the conditions a) and b) should be taken
as corresponding to fracture initiation and be considered for the determination of FQ.

B.4 Size criteria and validation of results

With neat plastics the test is assumed to be valid only if the plastic zone that develops at the crack
tip, which is related to the yield stress of the material, is sufficiently small compared to test specimen
dimensions (see 6.4).

20
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With plastics containing short fibres it is questionable whether the notion of plastic yielding can
apply to the material as a whole and hence whether the size of a ‘plastic zone’ can be identified at all.
Experience has shown that, with samples having a fibre content in the ordinary range (not less than
10 % volume) for materials of this kind, results obtained for KQ and GQ are practically invariant with
specimen dimensions varying in the range suggested by this document (see 4.1). Size criteria set out in
6.4 need therefore not be checked with this class of materials.
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Bibliography

[1] Williams J.G. Testing Protocol, Mech. Eng. Dept., Imperial College, London (March 1990)
[2] ASTM E 399-12, Standard Test Method for Linear-Elastic Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness KIC of
Metallic Materials
[3] Williams J.G., & Cawood M.J. Polym. Test. 1990, 9 p. 15
[4] ASTM D 5045-14, Standard Test Methods for Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness and Strain Energy
Release Rate of Plastic Materials
[5] Williams J.G. Fracture mechanics of polymers. Ellis Horwood Ltd, Chichester, 1984
[6] Bakker A. Fatigue Fract. Eng. Mater. Struct. 1990, 13 (2) p. 145
[7] Kapp J.A., Leger G.S., Gross B. Fracture mechanics: Sixteenth symposium, ASTM STP 868, Am.
Soc. Test. Mat., Philadelphia, pp. 27-44 ( 1985)
[8] ISO 291, Plastics — Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing

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ICS 83.080.01
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