BS EN ISO 1133-1:2011

Foreword
Introduction
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 Principle
5 Apparatus
6 Test sample
7 Temperature verification, cleaning and maintenance of
   the apparatus
8 Procedure A: mass-measurement method
9 Procedure B: displacement-measurement method
10 Flow rate ratio
11 Precision
12 Test report
Annex A (normative) - Test conditions for MFR and MVR
        determinations
Annex B (informative) - Conditions specified in International
        Standards for the determination of the melt flow rate
        of thermoplastic materials
Annex C (informative) - Device and procedure for preforming
        a compacted charge of material by compression
Annex D (informative) - Precision data for polypropylene
        obtained from an intercomparison of MFR and MVR
        testing
Bibliography

Defines two procedures for the determination of the melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and the melt volume-flow rate (MVR) of thermoplastic materials under specified conditions of temperature and load.

This part of ISO1133 specifies two procedures for the determination of the melt mass-flow rate (MFR) and the melt volume-flow rate (MVR) of thermoplastic materials under specified conditions of temperature and load. Procedure A is a mass-measurement method. Procedure B is a displacement-measurement method. Normally, the test conditions for measurement of melt flow rate are specified in the material standard with a reference to this part of ISO1133. The test conditions normally used for thermoplastics are listed in AnnexA.

The MVR is particularly useful when comparing materials of different filler content and when comparing filled with unfilled thermoplastics. The MFR can be determined from MVR measurements, or vice versa, provided the melt density at the test temperature is known.

This part of ISO1133 is also possibly applicable to thermoplastics for which the rheological behaviour is affected during the measurement by phenomena such as hydrolysis (chain scission), condensation and cross-linking, but only if the effect is limited in extent and only if the repeatability and reproducibility are within an acceptable range. For materials which show significantly affected rheological behaviour during testing, this part of ISO1133 is not appropriate. In such cases, ISO1133-2 applies.

NOTE The rates of shear in these methods are much smaller than those used under normal conditions of processing, and therefore it is possible that data obtained by these methods for various thermoplastics will not always correlate with their behaviour during processing. Both methods are used primarily in quality control.