ISO 306:2004 specifies four methods for the determination of the Vicat softening temperature (VST) of thermoplastic materials:
- Method A50 using a force of 10 N and a heating rate of 50 C/h
- Method B50 using a force of 50 N and a heating rate of 50 C/h
- Method A120 using a force of 10 N and a heating rate of 120 C/h
- Method B120 using a force of 50 N and a heating rate of 120 C/h.
The methods specified are applicable only to thermoplastics, for which they give a measure of the temperature at which the thermoplastics start to soften rapidly.