scope:

This method covers determination of the coefficient of linear thermal expansion for plastics by use of a vitreous silica dilatometer. At the test temperatures and under the stresses imposed, the plastic materials shall have a negligible creep or elastic strain rate or both, insofar as these properties would significantly affect the accuracy of the measurements.

NOTE 1-See also Method E 228.

The thermal expansion of a plastic is composed of a reversible component on which are superimposed changes in length due to changes in moisture content, curing, loss of plasticizer or solvents, release of stresses, phase changes and other factors. This method of test is intended for determining the coefficient of linear thermal expansion under the exclusion of these factors as far as possible. In general, it will not be possible to exclude the effect of these factors completely. For this reason, the method can be expected to give only an approximation to the true thermal expansion.

NOTE 2 - The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.