Hardness (thermoplastics)

What is hardness (thermoplastics)?

The hardness describes the resistance that the sample offers against the penetration of a body. The Shore D hardness test is often used for thermoplastics (comparable to Shore A). However, the ball pressure hardness is also increasingly being tested. With ball indentation hardness, a ball with a diameter of 5 mm is pressed onto the surface over a certain period of time and the surface of the indentation is determined using the indentation depth.

Unlike elastomers, the hardness of thermoplastics is not related to the mechanical properties. It is largely determined by the material type and can only be changed by plasticizers or in the case of thermoplastic elastomers.