Designation: D2287 − 12

Standard Specification for

Nonrigid Vinyl Chloride Polymer and Copolymer Molding
and Extrusion Compounds1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D2287; 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* specific requirements in the Materials and Manufacture section

1.1 This specification covers nonrigid vinyl chloride poly- of the applicable product standard.
mer and copolymer classes in which the resin portion of the
composition contains at least 90 % vinyl chloride. The remain- 2. Referenced Documents
ing 10 % can include one or more monomers copolymerized 2.1 ASTM Standards:2
with vinyl chloride or consist of other resins mechanically D257 Test Methods for DC Resistance or Conductance of
blended with polyvinyl chloride or copolymers thereof. Insulating Materials
1.2 These nonrigid vinyl compounds are defined by a D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
hardness range and include the necessary stabilizers, D635 Test Method for Rate of Burning and/or Extent and
plasticizers, fillers, dyes, and pigments to meet the designated Time of Burning of Plastics in a Horizontal Position
requirements. D638 Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics
1.3 This specification includes nonrigid vinyl chloride com- D746 Test Method for Brittleness Temperature of Plastics
pounds recommended for compression molding, injection and Elastomers by Impact
molding, and extrusion, but it must be recognized that particu- D792 Test Methods for Density and Specific Gravity (Rela-
lar compounds are not suitable for all these means of fabrica- tive Density) of Plastics by Displacement
tion. D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
D1203 Test Methods for Volatile Loss From Plastics Using
NOTE 1—This standard and ISO 2898-1 and ISO 2898-2 address the Activated Carbon Methods
same subject matter, but differ in technical content.
D1600 Terminology for Abbreviated Terms Relating to Plas-
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the tics
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information D2240 Test Method for Rubber Property—Durometer Hard-
only. ness
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the D3182 Practice for Rubber—Materials, Equipment, and Pro-
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the cedures for Mixing Standard Compounds and Preparing
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- Standard Vulcanized Sheets
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- D3892 Practice for Packaging/Packing of Plastics
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 2.2 ISO Standards:3
1.6 The text of this specification references notes and ISO 2898-1 Plastics—Plasticide Compounds of Homopoly-
footnotes which provide explanatory material. These notes and mers and Copolymers of Vinyl Chloride (PVC-P)
footnotes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be ISO 2898-2 Plastics—Plasticide Compounds of Homopoly-
considered as requirements of this specification. mers and Copolymers of Vinyl Chloride (PVC-P)—Part 2
1.7 Recycle PVC plastics meeting the requirements of this Preparation of Test Specimens and Determination of
specification may be used in some applications. Refer to the Properties

1 2
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Plastics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.15 on Thermoplastic contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Materials. Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
Current edition approved Oct. 1, 2012. Published November 2012. Originally the ASTM website.
3
approved in 1964. Last previous edition approved in 2011 as D2287 - 11. DOI: Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
10.1520/D2287-12. 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.

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

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States

1
 D2287 − 12
3. Terminology
3.1 General—Definitions are in accordance with Terminol-
ogy D883 and abbreviations with Terminology D1600, unless
otherwise indicated.
4. Classification
4.1 Provision is made in this specification for the identifi-
cation of vinyl chloride polymers and copolymers by use of
Terminology D1600. Additionally, there is provision for dis-
tinguishing electrical grades and burning rate by suffix. The
system of classification provided in Table 1 permits character-
ization and identification of all compounds having properties
within the ranges of the combinations that may be selected
from the table. Following type identification in accordance
with Terminology D1600, grades are designated by the cell
number for each property in the order in which they are listed
in Table 1, including the suffixes identifying electrical grades
and flammability when required. When a property is not
specified, a “0” is entered as the cell number unless identifi- NOTE 3—The cell-type format provides means for close characteriza-
cation is terminated prior to that point. tion and specification of material properties, alone or in combination, for
NOTE 2—The manner in which selected materials are identified is a broad range of materials. This format, however, is subject to possible
illustrated by the examples given below: misapplication since unobtainable property combinations can be selected
if the user is not familiar with commercially available materials. The
manufacturer should be consulted.

5. General Requirements
5.1 Material shall be of uniform composition and be so
compounded as to meet the requirements designated for it.
5.2 The designated material shall contain the ingredients
necessary to permit satisfactory processing with appropriate
equipment under recommended or commercially acceptable
conditions. There shall be no separation of components under
conditions of application normal for these compounds.

6. Significance and Use

6.1 Means for selecting and identifying nonrigid vinyl
chloride compounds are provided in Table 1. The properties
enumerated in this table and the tests defined are expected to

TABLE 1 Detail Grade Requirements

Designation Cell Limits
Property and Unit
Order No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 Durometer hardness, A scale unspecified <45 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 to 84 85 to 94 94 ... ...
2 Specific gravity (nominal), unspecified <1.20 1.20 to 1.25 to 1.30 to 1.35 to 1.40 to 1.45 to 1.50 to >1.59
73°F/23°C 1.24 1.29 1.34 1.39 1.44 1.49 1.59
3 Tensile strength, min:
MPa <6.9 6.9 8.8 10.8 13.8 17.2 20.7 24.1 >24.1
psi <1000 1000 1285 1575 2000 2500 3000 3500 >3500
4 Volatile loss at 105°C, max, % unspecified 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 >7.0
5 Brittleness temperature, max, °C unspecified 0 −5 −10 −15 −20 −30 −40 −50 −60
E Volume resistivity at 50°C, min, Ω-cm unspecified 101 1 101 2 101 3 ... ... ... ... ... ...
X Burning rate unspecified ...A ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A
When tested in accordance with Test Method D635, the compounds of this cell unit designation shall yield the following results: average extent of burning of <25 mm;
average time of burning of <10 s.

2
 D2287 − 12
provide identification of the compounds selected. They are not 0.010 in.) thick molded by compression as described in
necessarily suitable for direct application in design because of Practice D3182. The conditions of molding shall be either as
differences in shape of part, size, loading, environmental recommended by the seller or in keeping with accepted
conditions, etc. Only when specimens are molded in accor- commercial practice for the material being used. Specimens
dance with 11.1.1 can comparative data be expected. The tests shall be of the shape and dimensions specified in the individual
selected can also be used for inspection or quality control test methods.
provided that they are performed strictly in accordance with the 11.1.2 Conditioning—Test specimens of nonrigid vinyl
instructions given herein and in the designated methods so that chloride plastics shall be conditioned in accordance with
extraneous variables are minimized and results are reproduced Practice D618, Procedure A.
within the limits of variability of the material being examined 11.1.3 Test Conditions—Tests shall be conducted in the
and of the tests used for its examination. Standard Laboratory Atmosphere of 23 6 2°C (73 6 4°F) and
50 6 10 % relative humidity unless otherwise specified herein
7. Detail Requirements or in the individual test methods.
7.1 Compliance with the designated requirements shall be 11.1.4 Durometer Hardness—Test Method D2240 using a
determined with test specimens prepared of sheets molded in 15-s interval as described in 10.2 of that method.
accordance with 11.1.1 of this specification. 11.1.5 Specific Gravity—Test Methods D792, Method A.
7.2 Test values for specimens so prepared shall comply with Alternative methods of equal accuracy is permitted except for
the designated requirements as given in Table 1. referee tests.
11.1.6 Tensile Strength—Test Method D638, Type IV. Test
7.3 Subject to agreement between the purchaser and the speed shall be 50 mm/min (2 in./min) 6 10 %.
seller, testing on specimens prepared of finished molded 11.1.7 Volatile Loss—Test Methods D1203, Method A. Test
articles is permitted. It is possible results of such tests will not temperature shall be 105°C.
agree with the values given in Table 1. Therefore, in reports of 11.1.8 Brittleness Temperature—Test Method D746.
such tests, methods, and conditions of preparation, dimensions, 11.1.9 Volume Resistivity—Test Methods D257. Test speci-
and all other pertinent information shall be included. mens shall be of any uniform thickness between 0.5 mm (0.020
in.) and 2.2 mm (0.085 in.), test temperature shall be 50 6
8. Contractual Requirements
1.0°C, and electrodes are either conductive paints, or sprayed
8.1 Nonrigid vinyl chloride plastics ordinarily are supplied or evaporated metal as described in the section on Electrode
in either diced, pelletized, or granulated form. Particle size Systems of Test Methods D257 and mounted as shown in the
shall be as agreed between the purchaser and the seller. Other figures illustrating a flat specimen for measuring volume and
forms are acceptable when agreed upon by the seller and surface resistances or conductances for flat, solid specimens in
purchaser. that method. Applied voltage within the range 100 to 500 V is
8.2 Color and transparency or opacity of the materials, when recommended.
molded under the conditions recommended by the seller, shall 11.1.10 Burning Rate—Test Method D635.
be comparable within commercial tolerances with a standard
12. Retest and Rejection
specimen of the same thickness furnished in advance by the
seller. 12.1 If any failure occurs, the materials shall be retested to
establish conformity in accordance with agreement between
9. Number of Tests the purchaser and the seller.
9.1 One set of test specimens as needed to verify the
13. Packaging and Package Marking
requirements selected in Table 1 and as prescribed in Section
11 shall be considered sufficient for testing the material. 13.1 Packaging—The material shall be packaged in stan-
dard commercial containers so constructed as to ensure accep-
10. Sampling tance by common or other carriers for safe transportation at the
10.1 Adequate statistical sampling before packaging is an lowest rate to the point of delivery, unless otherwise specified
acceptable procedure. A batch or lot of material shall be in the contract or order.
considered as a unit of manufacture prepared for shipment and 13.2 Package Marking—Unless otherwise agreed between
is permitted to consist of a blend of two or more production the seller and the purchaser, shipping containers shall be
runs of material. marked with the name of the material, the batch or lot number,
10.2 Material shall be free of foreign matter to such a level and the quantity contained therein, as defined by the contract or
of contamination that is agreed upon between the purchaser order under which shipment is made, the name of the seller,
and the seller. and the number of the contract or order.
13.3 All packing, packaging, and marking provisions of
11. Test Methods Practice D3892 shall apply to this specification.
11.1 The properties enumerated herein shall be determined
in accordance with the following methods: 14. Keywords
11.1.1 Test Specimens—Unless otherwise specified, test 14.1 compounds; nonrigid; poly(vinyl chloride); recycle
specimens shall be prepared of sheets 1.9 6 0.2 mm (0.075 6 plastics; vinyl chloride copolymers

3
 D2287 − 12

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Committee D20 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue (D2287 - 11)
that may impact the use of this standard. (October 1, 2012)

(1) Removed Mercury and Mercury electrode references in

section 11.1.9.

Committee D20 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue
(D2287 - 96(2010)) that may impact the use of this standard. (September 1, 2011)

(1) Corrected ISO statement in Note 1to be in accordance with (7) Revised 11.1.2, 11.1.5, 11.1.7, and 11.1.8.
Guide D4968. (8) Increased humidity deviation to 6 10 % from 5 % in
(2) Removed non-mandatory language from 1.1, 1.3, 6.1, 7.3, 11.1.3.
8.1, 10.1, 10.2, 11.1.9, and 12.1. (9) Revised 11.1.6: Reference D638, Type IV specimen. Set
(3) Deleted D412 and D1898; and added D638 in 2.1. test speed.
(4) Deleted year dates from ISO references in 2.2. (10) Added ‘nonrigid’ to Keywords.
(5) Removed ‘PVC’ from examples in Note 2. (11) Corrected Specific Gravity temperature (°F) in Table 1.
(6) Removed reference to D1898 in 10.1 since it has been
discontinued.

ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentioned
in this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the risk
of infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility.

This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five years and
if not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for additional standards
and should be addressed to ASTM International Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of the
responsible technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you should
make your views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, at the address shown below.

This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,
United States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the above
address or at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or [email protected] (e-mail); or through the ASTM website
(www.astm.org). Permission rights to photocopy the standard may also be secured from the Copyright Clearance Center, 222
Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, Tel: (978) 646-2600; http://www.copyright.com/