Overview
ISO 4899:1993 - Textile-glass-reinforced thermosetting plastics - Properties and test methods - is an International Standard that defines a consolidated list of properties and the corresponding test methods used for inspection and quality control of thermosetting plastics reinforced with textile glass. Published as the second edition in 1993 (revising ISO 4899:1982), the standard is intended to guide manufacturers, test laboratories and specifiers in selecting appropriate tests for glass‑reinforced thermosetting composites.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and purpose: Establishes which basic properties should be inspected and the ISO/IEC test methods to be used for textile‑glass‑reinforced thermosetting plastics. The list is representative, not exhaustive - property selection depends on the application.
- Physical tests: Loss on ignition (ISO 1172) for combustible content, density (method A of ISO 7822) and void content (ISO 7822).
- Mechanical tests: Tensile (ISO 3268), flexural (ISO 178), shear (torsion ISO 537; interlaminar shear by delamination ISO 4585), compression (ISO 8515) and impact (ISO 179).
- Chemical resistance: General guidance (ISO 175); Annex A lists national/industry methods (e.g., ASTM practices) for specific chemical‑resistance testing.
- Thermal properties: Torsional rigidity vs temperature (ISO 537), thermal conductivity (ISO 2582), deformation/temperature of deflection (ISO 75‑3).
- Fire behaviour and flammability: Flammability tests referenced (ISO 4589, ISO 1210); fire behaviour is noted as complex and governed by national legislation.
- Electrical properties: For electrically intended products, IEC methods are referenced for permittivity, dielectric strength, insulation resistance, surface/volume resistivity and tracking indices (IEC 250, IEC 243‑1, IEC 167, IEC 93, IEC 112).
- Sampling, conditioning and test temperature: Sampling per ISO 2859‑1 / ISO 3951; conditioning and standard laboratory temperatures per ISO 291; special test temperatures per ISO 3205.
Applications and users
ISO 4899 is practical for:
- Manufacturers of glass‑reinforced thermosetting laminates and mouldings - for incoming/outgoing inspection and production control.
- Materials engineers and R&D teams - when specifying test protocols for material evaluation and comparison.
- Quality and compliance laboratories - to implement standardized mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical tests.
- Procurement/specifiers - to reference consistent test methods in contracts and specifications.
Related standards
Key referenced standards include ISO 3268, ISO 178, ISO 537, ISO 7822, ISO 1172, ISO 179, ISO 75‑3, ISO 2582, ISO 175, ISO 4589 / ISO 1210 and relevant IEC test methods (IEC 93, 112, 167, 243‑1, 250). Annex A provides additional national/industry methods for chemical resistance (e.g., ASTM standards).
Keywords: ISO 4899, textile‑glass‑reinforced, thermosetting plastics, test methods, glass‑reinforced composites, properties, interlaminar shear, tensile, flammability, thermal conductivity.
