1. Scope

1.1 This specification provides for the identification of recycled post-consumer HDPE molding and extrusion materials, from specified sources, in pellet or chip form so that the supplier and the user can agree on the acceptability of lots or shipments. This specification covers post-consumer HDPE materials from the following: ( 1 ) blow molded household chemical containers, ( 2 ) blow molded milk, juice, and water containers, ( 3 ) materials from the spunbonded process, ( 4 ) thermoformed packaged food containers and personal care packages, ( 5 ) injection molded packaged food containers and beverage bottle base cups, and ( 6 ) injection molded housewares and industrial articles such as pails, crates, totes, and pallets. Other post-consumer HDPE materials may be added to this specification when such material streams are characterized.

1.1.1 The tests described in this specification are intended to provide information for identifying these materials. The separation by sources improves the usefulness of the materials.

1.1.2 It is not the function of this specification to provide specific data for design purposes.

1.2 This specification provides a procedure to certify that the materials are from post-consumer sources.

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound units given in parentheses are for information only.

1.4 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test method portion, Section 10, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Note 1There are no ISO standards covering the primary subject matter of this specification.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing

D638 Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics

D790 Test Methods for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials

D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics

D1238 Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer

D1505 Test Method for Density of Plastics by the Density-Gradient Technique

D3892 Practice for Packaging/Packing of Plastics

D4703 Practice for Compression Molding Thermoplastic Materials into Test Specimens, Plaques, or Sheets

D4883 Test Method for Density of Polyethylene by the Ultrasound Technique

D5033 Guide for Development of ASTM Standards Relating to Recycling and Use of Recycled Plastics

D5577 Guide for Techniques to Separate and Identify Contaminants in Recycled Plastics

D7209 Guide for Waste Reduction, Resource Recovery, and Use of Recycled Polymeric Materials and Products

E29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications

Keywords

blow-molding; HDPE; injection molding; molding and extrusion materials; polyethylene; post-consumer material; recovered material; recycled; spunbonded; thermoforming;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 83.080.20 (Thermoplastic materials); 83.140.99 (Other rubber and plastic products)

DOI: 10.1520/D5203-02

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