Textechno implements new DIN SPEC 19289 standard

Fast and effective micromechanical testing of the interfacial shear strength (ILSS) of composites is the focus of DIN SPEC 19289, a new standard published in August 2022 specifying how to characterize the bonding between fiber and matrix by means of a single-fiber pull-out test. This technique is successfully implemented in Textechnos’ (Mönchengladbach, Germany) Fimatest system.

“Up to now, a characterization of the interfacial shear strength according to standards was only possible with elaborate and hence expensive macromechanical testing techniques such as ILSS testing,” Dr. Ulrich Mörschel, CEO of Textechno, explains. “Here, the results depend on the exact mechanical structure of the test specimen. In contrast, the single-fiber pull-out test gives a direct measure of the fiber-matrix adhesion strength on its own.”

According to Dr. Michael Effing of AMAC and senior advisor to Textechno, the composite industry needs standardized testing techniques to enable international partners to agree on common quality specifications. “This is especially true for the interfacial shear strength which is one of the key quality parameters in composites technology,” Effing notes. “The new standard is applicable not only to thermoset but also to thermoplastic composites, hence supporting this dynamic market growing at 6-8% per year.”

“The system is successfully operational in our laboratory and has been very efficient to determine the fiber-matrix adhesion strength in various research projects supporting the composite industry,” Prof. Dr. Axel Hermann, director of Fibre, emphasizes. The Fibre Institute Bremen e.V. (Fibre, Bremen, Germany) participated in the standard’s development. “Certainly, interfacial bonding in thermoplastic composites will be a topic at the upcoming ITHEC 2022 conference that is hosted in Bremen.”