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At
the middle of the top part of the railing, a compressive force
of 61kp was applied at the side for one hour and the deformation
experienced at this point was measured at the same time. When
the force was released at the end of the test, the deformation
was 9mm/0.354inch, with a residual deformation of 4mm/0.157inch
after one hour.
The
test was conducted as per UNE 53-028-90. Water absorption
by a plastic material may lead to swelling and cause alterations
in the dimensions and/or physical properties of the material.
Several samples of the railing were cut, then weighed
before
and after being immersed in distilled water at 23�C/73�F
for 24 hours. Several other samples were placed in boiling
water
for 30 minutes. The weight difference represents the increased
mass due to absorption.
Water absorption results: SATISFACTORY: Samples at
23�C/73�F for 24 hours: 0.009% Samples at 100�C/212�F for
30 minutes: 0.022%
| Determination
of Latent Stress and Strain |
The
test was conducted as per UNE 53-248 and consisted of
immersing the samples in a hot surfactant bath for a certain
amount of time, then removing the samples from the surfactant
bath and inspecting them to see if any cracks, swelling
or
breaks have appeared at any point or area of the sample.
The time period was 24 hours and the temperature was 80�C/176�F.
Test results: SATISFACTORY: No cracks, swelling, grooves
or breaks were observed in the samples.
An
entire railing was immersed in a "CLIMATEST" climate-controlled
chamber in order to conduct ageing tests consisting of the
following climate-controlled cycles: 4 hours at -10�C/14�F,
followed by 8 hours at 60�C/140�F and 90% relative humidity.
A total of 4 cycles were carried out, for a total of 48 hours.
After the railing was removed from the chamber and inspected
damage due to deformation or cracks, the drop test was repeated
from a height of 1 meter against one of the legs.
Results: SATISFACTORY
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