ASTM D1004

ASTM D1004 applies the determination of tear strength / resistance of flexible plastic film and sheeting

The site of tear is initiated by a high stress concentration caused by the 90° angle in the specimen. This test method aims to measure force to initiate tear for plastic films that do no exhibit brittle failure or do not elongate greater than 101.6 mm. 

We recommend a rubber-coated faces (25x25 mm) on pneumatic side-action grips and a gripping pressure of 4 bar to work well for this application. In addition, a webcam can be easily set up to track specimen failure. The images from the webcam were recorded into our software, enables the user to view the test data along with a video of the actual live test. 

Reading and reviewing ASTM D1004 in order to fully understand the test setup, procedures, and results requirements