ASTM International

Standard Test Method for Environmental Stress-Crack Resistance of Blow-Molded Polyethylene Containers
 N D2561

Annotation

Under certain conditions of stress, and in the presence of environments such as soaps, wetting agents, oils, or detergents, blow-molded polyethylene containers exhibit mechanical failure by cracking at stresses appreciably below those that would cause cracking in the absence of these environments.

This test method measures the environmental stress crack resistance of containers, which is the summation of the influence of container design, resin, blow-molding conditions, post treatment, or other factors that can affect this property. Three procedures are provided as follows:

Procedure A, Stress-Crack Resistance of Containers to Commercial Liquids—This procedure is particularly useful for determining the effect of container design on stress-crack resistance or the stress-crack resistance of a proposed commercial package containing a proprietary liquid product.

Procedure B, Stress-Crack Resistance of a Specific Container to Polyoxyethylated Nonylphenol (CAS 68412-54- 4), a Stress-Cracking Agent—The conditions of test described in this procedure are designed for testing containers made from Class 3 polyethylene Specification D4976. Therefore, this procedure is recommended for containers made from Class 3 polyethylene only. This procedure is particularly useful for determining the effect of resin on the stress-crack resistance of the container.

Procedure C, Controlled Elevated Pressure Stress- Crack Resistance of a Specific Container to Polyoxyethylated Nonylphenol (CAS 68412-54-4), a Stress-Cracking Agent— The internal pressure is controlled at a constant elevated level.

NOTE 1—There are environmental concerns regarding the disposal of Polyoxyethylated Nonylphenol (Nonylphenoxy poly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol (CAS 68412-54-4), for example, Igepal CO-630). Users are advised to consult their supplier or local environmental office and follow the guidelines provided for the proper disposal of this chemical.