9. Procedure A—Manual Operation
9.1 Select conditions of temperature and load from 8.2 or in
accordance with material specifications. Where multiple test
conditions exist, test conditions shall be agreed upon by the
cooperating laboratories. If test conditions are not known,
select conditions that result in flow rates between 0.15 to 50
g/10 min.
9.2 Inspect the extrusion plastometer for cleanliness (see
Note 10). All surfaces of the cylinder bore, die and piston shall
be free of any residue from previous tests.
NOTE 10—The degree of cleanliness can significantly influence the
flow rate results, therefore a thorough method of cleaning should be
established. It has been found that swabbing the barrel with a clean cotton
patch several times is satisfactory for most materials and that the die,
barrel, and piston are more easily cleaned while hot. For materials that are
difficult to clean from the metal surfaces, use of a brass brush has been
found to be satisfactory.
9.3 Check the die bore diameter at frequent intervals with
appropriately sized go/no-go gauges (checked with die at
23 6 5°C) to verify that the die is within the tolerances given
in 5.3.1. Visually examine the die bore to verify that it is not
scratched or damaged. Also visually inspect the land of the
piston foot to verify that it is not scratched or damaged and use
a calibrated micrometer to verify that the dimensions are within
the tolerances given in 5.4.1 (see Note 11).