4.1 The purpose of this classification system is to provide a method of adequately identifying plastic materials in order to give industry a system that can be used universally for plastic materials. It further provides a means for specifying these materials by the use of a simple line call-out designation.
4.2 This classification system was developed to permit the addition of property values for future plastics.
1.1 This standard provides a classification system for tabulating the properties of unfilled, filled, and reinforced plastic materials suitable for processing into parts.
1.2 The classification system and subsequent line call-out (specification) is intended to be a means of identifying plastic materials used in the fabrication of end items or parts. It is not intended for the selection of materials. Material selection should be made by those having expertise in the plastics field after careful consideration of the design and the performance required of the part, the environment to which it will be exposed, the fabrication process to be employed, the inherent properties of the material not covered in this document, and the economic factors.
1.3 This classification system is based on the premise that plastic materials can be arranged into broad generic families using basic properties to arrange the materials into groups, classes, and grades. A system is thus established which, together with values describing additional requirements, permits as complete a description as desired of the selected material.