Element Materials Technology

Nonmetals like plastics, elastomers, composites, films, adhesives, and foams can be evaluated for strength, flexibility, fatigue, and many of the other physical properties that metals are tested to.

Varieties of mechanical testing on nonmetals

Polymers, elastomers, composites, and other materials can be mechanically tested to the following methods:

• Hardness Testing is the measure of how resistant solid matter is to various kinds of permanent shape change when a force is applied. Methods include: Shore Durometer hardness testing to ASTM 2240 and Barcol hardness testing to ASTM 2583.
• Tensile Testing subjects a sample to uniaxial tension until it fails. Element tensile testing capabilities for nonmetals include ASTM D638 and ISO 178.
• Torque Testing is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis. Element can perform torque testing on nonmetal fastener products.
• Fatigue Testing is performed on parts and materials to simulate the progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. Element's fatigue testing methods include: fracture toughness testing, a measure of the fracture resistance of a material containing a crack; rotating beam fatigue testing;strain controlled axial fatigue testing; stress controlled axial fatigue testing.
• Charpy Testing: The Charpy impact test, also known as the Charpy v-notch test, is a standardized high strain-rate test which determines the amount of energy absorbed by a material during fracture. Element conducts sub-size Charpy impact testing and standard Charpy impact testing. Izod impact testing can also be performed on polymers, plastics, composites, etc.
• Bend Testing determines the ductility or the strength of a material by bending the material over a given radius.. 
• Proof Load Testing is often used interchangeably with yield strength; it refers to the tension-applied load that a test sample must support without evidence of deformation. Methods include: tension testing, compression testing to standards like ASTM D695.
• Shear Testing. Shear strength measures a material's response to shear load, a force that tends to produce a sliding failure on a material along a plane that is parallel to the direction of the force. 
• Flexural Strength and Flexural Modulus can be determined for nonmetals to standards like ASTM D790 and ISO 178.
• Other methods include tear strength, creep, fatigue, friction, wear, and more.