This International Standard specifies four methods for the determination of the Vicat softening temperature (VST) of thermoplastic materials:
—method A50 using a force of 10 N and a heating rate of 50 K/h;
—method B50 using a force of 50 N and a heating rate of 50 K/h;
—method A120 using a force of 10 N and a heating rate of 120 K/h;
—method B120 using a force of 50 N and a heating rate of 120 K/h.
The methods specified are applicable only to thermoplastics, for which they give a measure of the temperature at which the thermoplastics start to soften rapidly.
ISO 2818 Plastics — Preparation of test specimens by machining*, 2018-12-13 Update
ISO 291 Plastics - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
ISO 293 Plastics — Compression moulding of test specimens of thermoplastic materials*, 2023-02-21 Update
ISO 294-1 Plastics - Injection moulding of test specimens of thermoplastic materials - Part 1: General principles, and moulding of multipurpose and bar test specimens*, 2017-05-01 Update
ISO 294-2 Plastics — Injection moulding of test specimens of thermoplastic materials — Part 2: Small tensile bars*, 2018-12-07 Update
ISO 294-3 Plastics — Injection moulding of test specimens of thermoplastic materials — Part 3: Small plates*, 2020-06-26 Update