Izod impact strength testing is an ASTM standard method of determining impact strength. A notched sample is generally used to determine impact strength.
The test is named after the English engineer Edwin Gilbert Izod (1876–1946), who described it in his 1903 address to the British Association, subsequently published in Engineering.
Impact is a very important phenomenon in governing the life of a structure. For example, in the case of an aircraft, impact can take place by a bird hitting a plane while it is cruising, or during take off and landing the aircraft may be struck by debris present on the runway, and as well as other causes.
An arm held at a specific height (constant potential energy) is released. The arm hits the sample and breaks it. From the energy absorbed by the sample, its impact strength is determined.
The North American standard for Izod Impact testing of plastics is ASTM D256. The results are expressed in energy lost per unit of thickness (such as ft-lb/in or J/cm) at the notch. Alternatively, the results may be reported as energy lost per unit cross-sectional area at the notch (J/m² or ft-lb/in²). In Europe, ISO 180 methods are used and results are based only on the cross-sectional area at the notch (J/m²).
The dimensions of a standard specimen for ASTM D256 are 63.5 x 12.7 x 3.2 mm (2.5" x 0.5" x 1/8"). The most common specimen thickness is 3.2 mm (0.125"), but the width can vary between 3.0 and 12.7 mm (0.118" and 0.500").
The Izod impact test differs from the Charpy impact test in that the sample is held in a cantilevered beam configuration as opposed to a three-point bending configuration.
This test can also be used to determine the notch sensitivity.
Impact tests are used in studying the toughness of material. A material's toughness is a factor of its ability to absorb energy during plastic deformation. Brittle materials have low toughness as a result of the small amount of plastic deformation that they can endure. The impact value of a material can also change with temperature. Generally, at lower temperatures, the impact strength of a material is decreased. The size of the specimen may also affect the value of the Izod impact test because it may allow a different number of imperfections in the material, which can act as stress risers and lower the impact strength.
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