This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles

for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

Designation: D790 − 17

Standard Test Methods for

Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics
and Electrical Insulating Materials1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D790; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.

1. Scope* 1.5 The text of this standard references notes and footnotes
1.1 These test methods are used to determine the flexural that provide explanatory material. These notes and footnotes
properties of unreinforced and reinforced plastics, including (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be considered
high modulus composites and electrical insulating materials as requirements of the standard.
utilizing a three-point loading system to apply a load to a 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
simply supported beam (specimen). The method is generally safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
applicable to both rigid and semi-rigid materials, but flexural responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
strength cannot be determined for those materials that do not priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
break or yield in the outer surface of the test specimen within bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
the 5.0 % strain limit. NOTE 3—This standard and ISO 178 address the same subject matter,
1.2 Test specimens of rectangular cross section are injection but differ in technical content.
molded or, cut from molded or extruded sheets or plates, or cut 1.7 This international standard was developed in accor-
from molded or extruded shapes. Specimens must be solid and dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
uniformly rectangular. The specimen rests on two supports and ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
is loaded by means of a loading nose midway between the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
supports. mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
1.3 Measure deflection in one of two ways; using crosshead Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
position or a deflectometer. Please note that studies have shown
that deflection data obtained with a deflectometer will differ 2. Referenced Documents
from data obtained using crosshead position. The method of 2.1 ASTM Standards:2
deflection measurement shall be reported. D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
D638 Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics
NOTE 1—Requirements for quality control in production environments
are usually met by measuring deflection using crosshead position. D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
However, more accurate measurement may be obtained by using an D4000 Classification System for Specifying Plastic Materi-
deflection indicator such as a deflectometer. als
NOTE 2—Materials that do not rupture by the maximum strain allowed D4101 Specification for Polypropylene Injection and Extru-
under this test method may be more suited to a 4-point bend test. The basic
difference between the two test methods is in the location of the maximum
sion Materials
bending moment and maximum axial fiber stresses. The maximum axial D5947 Test Methods for Physical Dimensions of Solid
fiber stresses occur on a line under the loading nose in 3-point bending and Plastics Specimens
over the area between the loading noses in 4-point bending. A four-point D6272 Test Method for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced
loading system method can be found in Test Method D6272. and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materi-
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the als by Four-Point Bending
standard. The values provided in parentheses are for informa- E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines
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tion only. E83 Practice for Verification and Classification of Exten-

someter Systems
1
These test methods are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on
Plastics and are the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.10 on Mechanical
2
Properties. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved July 1, 2017. Published July 2017. Originally approved contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
in 1970. Last previous edition approved in 2015 as D790 – 15ɛ2. DOI: 10.1520/ Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
D0790-17. the ASTM website.

*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard

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Copyright ASTM International 1

 D790 − 17
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to proportional to strain up to the point of rupture and for which the strains
Determine the Precision of a Test Method are small. Since this is not always the case, a slight error will be
introduced if Eq 3 is used to calculate stress for materials that are not true
E2309 Practices for Verification of Displacement Measuring Hookean materials. The equation is valid for obtaining comparison data
Systems and Devices Used in Material Testing Machines and for specification purposes, but only up to a maximum fiber strain of
2.2 ISO Standard:3 5 % in the outer surface of the test specimen for specimens tested by the
ISO 178 Plastics—Determination of Flexural Properties procedures described herein.
NOTE 6—When testing highly orthotropic laminates, the maximum
3. Terminology stress may not always occur in the outer surface of the test specimen.4
Laminated beam theory must be applied to determine the maximum
3.1 Definitions—Definitions of terms applying to these test tensile stress at failure. If Eq 3 is used to calculate stress, it will yield an
methods appear in Terminology D883 and Annex A2 of Test apparent strength based on homogeneous beam theory. This apparent
Method D638. strength is highly dependent on the ply-stacking sequence of highly
orthotropic laminates.
4. Summary of Test Method 5.1.2 Flexural Stress for Beams Tested at Large Support
4.1 A test specimen of rectangular cross section rests on two Spans (σf)—If support span-to-depth ratios greater than 16 to 1
supports in a flat-wise position and is loaded by means of a are used such that deflections in excess of 10 % of the support
loading nose located midway between the supports. Unless span occur, the stress in the outer surface of the specimen for
testing certain laminated materials (see 7 for guidance), a a simple beam is reasonably approximated using equation (Eq
support span-to-depth (of specimen) ratio 16:1 shall be used. 4) in 12.3 (see Note 7).
The specimen is deflected until rupture occurs in the outer
NOTE 7—When large support span-to-depth ratios are used, significant
surface of the test specimen or until a maximum strain (see end forces are developed at the support noses which will affect the
5.1.6) of 5.0 % is reached, whichever occurs first. moment in a simple supported beam. Eq 4 includes additional terms that
4.2 Procedure A is designed principally for materials that are an approximate correction factor for the influence of these end forces
in large support span-to-depth ratio beams where relatively large deflec-
break at comparatively small deflections and it shall be used for tions exist.
measurement of flexural properties, particularly flexural
modulus, unless the material specification states otherwise. 5.1.3 Flexural Strength (σfM)—Maximum flexural stress
Procedure A employs a strain rate of 0.01 mm/mm/min (0.01 sustained by the test specimen (see Note 6) during a bending
in./in./min) and is the preferred procedure for this test method. test. It is calculated according to Eq 3 or Eq 4. Some materials
that do not break at strains of up to 5 % give a load deflection
4.3 Procedure B is designed principally for those materials curve that shows a point at which the load does not increase
that do not break or yield in the outer surface of the test with an increase in strain, that is, a yield point (Fig. 1, Curve
specimen within the 5.0 % strain limit when Procedure A b), Y. The flexural strength is calculated for these materials by
conditions are used. Procedure B employs a strain rate of 0.10 letting P (in Eq 3 or Eq 4) equal this point, Y.
mm/mm/min (0.10 in./in./min).
5.1.4 Flexural Offset Yield Strength—Offset yield strength is
4.4 Type I tests utilize crosshead position for deflection the stress at which the stress-strain curve deviates by a given
measurement. strain (offset) from the tangent to the initial straight line portion
4.5 Type II tests utilize an instrument (deflectometer) for of the stress-strain curve. The value of the offset must be given
deflection measurement. whenever this property is calculated.
4.6 The procedure used and test type shall be reported NOTE 8—Flexural Offset Yield Strength may differ from flexural
NOTE 4—Comparative tests may be run in accordance with either strength defined in 5.1.3. Both methods of calculation are described in the
procedure, provided that the procedure is found satisfactory for the annex to Test Method D638.
material being tested. Tangent modulus data obtained by Procedure A
tends to exhibit lower standard deviations than comparable results 5.1.5 Flexural Stress at Break (σfB)—Flexural stress at break
obtained by means of Procedure B. of the test specimen during a bending test. It is calculated
according to Eq 3 or Eq 4. Some materials give a load
5. Significance and Use deflection curve that shows a break point, B, without a yield
5.1 Flexural properties as determined by this test method are point (Fig. 1, Curve a) in which case σfB = σfM. Other materials
especially useful for quality control and specification purposes. give a yield deflection curve with both a yield and a break
They include: point, B (Fig. 1, Curve b). The flexural stress at break is
5.1.1 Flexural Stress (σf)—When a homogeneous elastic calculated for these materials by letting P (in Eq 3 or Eq 4)
material is tested in flexure as a simple beam supported at two equal this point, B.
points and loaded at the midpoint, the maximum stress in the 5.1.6 Stress at a Given Strain—The stress in the outer
outer surface of the test specimen occurs at the midpoint. surface of a test specimen at a given strain is calculated in
Flexural stress is calculated for any point on the load-deflection accordance with Eq 3 or Eq 4 by letting P equal the load read
curve using equation (Eq 3) in Section 12 (see Notes 5 and 6).
NOTE 5—Eq 3 applies strictly to materials for which stress is linearly
4
For a discussion of these effects, see Zweben, C., Smith, W. S., and Wardle, M.
W., “Test Methods for Fiber Tensile Strength, Composite Flexural Modulus and
3
Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St., Properties of Fabric-Reinforced Laminates,” Composite Materials: Testing and
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org. Design (Fifth Conference), ASTM STP 674, 1979, pp. 228–262.
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Copyright ASTM International 2

 D790 − 17
or by customer contract. It is calculated in accordance with Eq
6 by letting m equal the slope of the secant to the load-
deflection curve. The chosen stress or strain point used for the
determination of the secant shall be reported.
5.1.8.3 Chord Modulus (Ef)—The chord modulus is calcu-
lated from two discrete points on the load deflection curve. The
selected points are to be chosen at two pre-specified stress or
strain points in accordance with the appropriate material
specification or by customer contract. The chosen stress or
strain points used for the determination of the chord modulus
shall be reported. Calculate the chord modulus, Ef using Eq 7
in 12.5.2.
5.2 Experience has shown that flexural properties vary with
specimen depth, temperature, atmospheric conditions, and
strain rate as specified in Procedures A and B.
5.3 Before proceeding with these test methods, refer to the
ASTM specification of the material being tested. Any test
specimen preparation, conditioning, dimensions, or testing
parameters, or combination thereof, covered in the ASTM
material specification shall take precedence over those men-
tioned in these test methods. Table 1 in Classification System
NOTE 1—Curve a: Specimen that breaks before yielding. D4000 lists the ASTM material specifications that currently
Curve b: Specimen that yields and then breaks before the 5 % strain exist for plastics.
limit.
Curve c: Specimen that neither yields nor breaks before the 5 % strain
limit. 6. Apparatus
FIG. 1 Typical Curves of Flexural Stress (σf) Versus Flexural 6.1 Testing Machine—A testing machine capable of being
Strain (εf) operated at constant rates of crosshead motion over the range
indicated and comprised of the following:
from the load-deflection curve at the deflection corresponding 6.1.1 Load Frame—The stiffness of the testing machine
to the desired strain (for highly orthotropic laminates, see Note shall be such that the total elastic deformation of the system
6). does not exceed 1 % of the total deflection of the test specimen
5.1.7 Flexural Strain, ɛf—Nominal fractional change in the during testing, or appropriate corrections shall be made.
length of an element of the outer surface of the test specimen 6.1.1.1 Fixed Member—A fixed or essentially stationary
at midspan, where the maximum strain occurs. Flexural strain member holding the specimen supports;
is calculated for any deflection using Eq 5 in 12.4. 6.1.1.2 Movable Member—A movable member carrying the
5.1.8 Modulus of Elasticity: loading nose.
5.1.8.1 Tangent Modulus of Elasticity—The tangent modu- 6.1.2 Loading Noses and Supports—The loading nose and
lus of elasticity, often called the “modulus of elasticity,” is the supports shall have cylindrical surfaces.
ratio, within the elastic limit, of stress to corresponding strain. 6.1.2.1 The radii of the loading nose and supports shall be
It is calculated by drawing a tangent to the steepest initial 5.0 6 0.1 mm (0.197 6 0.004 in.) unless otherwise specified in
straight-line portion of the load-deflection curve and using Eq an ASTM material specification or as agreed upon between
6 in 12.5.1 (for highly anisotropic composites, see Note 9). interested parties.
NOTE 9—Shear deflections can seriously reduce the apparent modulus 6.1.2.2 Other Radii for Loading Noses and Supports—
of highly anisotropic composites when they are tested at low span-to- Alternative loading noses and supports are permitted to be used
depth ratios.4 For this reason, a span-to-depth ratio of 60 to 1 is in order to avoid excessive indentation or failure due to stress
recommended for flexural modulus determinations on these composites. concentration directly under the loading nose or if required by
Flexural strength should be determined on a separate set of replicate
an ASTM material specification. If alternative loading nose and
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specimens at a lower span-to-depth ratio that induces tensile failure in the

outer fibers of the beam along its lower face. Since the flexural modulus support radii are used, the dimensions of the loading nose and
of highly anisotropic laminates is a critical function of ply-stacking supports shall be clearly identified in the test report and
sequence, it will not necessarily correlate with tensile modulus, which is reference shall be made to any applicable specifications.
not stacking-sequence dependent. (1) Alternative supports shall have a minimum radius of
5.1.8.2 Secant Modulus—The secant modulus is the ratio of 3.2 mm (1⁄8 in.) When testing specimens 3.2 mm or greater in
stress to corresponding strain at any selected point on the depth, the radius of the loading nose and supports are permitted
stress-strain curve, that is, the slope of the straight line that to be up to 1.6 times the specimen depth.
joins the origin and a selected point on the actual stress-strain (2) The arc of the loading nose in contact with the
curve. It shall be expressed in megapascals (pounds per square specimen shall be sufficiently large to prevent contact of the
inch). The selected point is chosen at a pre-specified stress or specimen with the sides of the nose. Alternative loading noses
strain in accordance with the appropriate material specification shall be sufficiently large to prevent contact of the specimen

Copyright ASTM International 3