Ethyl acrylate is copolymerized with ethylene to produce film, molding, and wire coating resins with improved physical properties. Ethyl acrylate comonomer increases flexibility, stress cracking resistance, toughness, and clarity. A rapid quantitative technique is needed for the evaluation of the amount of ethyl acrylate in a resin for specification purposes because physical properties change rapidly with increasing comonomer content.

Infrared spectrophotometric analysis, when suitably calibrated, can be used for the measurement of the concentration of comonomer present. Calibration is performed with samples that have been analyzed for oxygen content by fast neutron activation analysis. Oxygen content is converted to ethyl acrylate comonomer content by a simple calculation.

A purpose of the infrared method of analysis is to provide a procedure for use in quality control analysis. It is a rapid, secondary method of analysis as contrasted with the more expensive and time-consuming fast neutron activation analysis which is the primary, calibrating method.

1.1 This test method covers ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers containing from 1 to 25 % ethyl acrylate comonomer.

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. (See IEEE/ASTM SI-10.)

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Note 1—There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard.