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What is Shore Hardness Scale? | The Complete Guide

November 22, 2022 by Ashish Mittal 1 Comment

durometerchart

Hello people, today I will share an integrating guide on shore hardness scales – the most reliable measurement method to determine plastic’s hardness. So without further ado, let’s get started.

Quick Navigation

  • What is Shore D Hardness Scale?
  • How Does the Shore Hardness Test Work?
  • Shore Hardness Chart
  • What does Shore hardness Mean for a Manufacturer?
  • FAQs
  • What is hardness measured in?
  • What is a Durometer?
  • What is the difference between Shore A and Shore D?
  • What is the difference between Shore and Rockwell hardness testing methods?
  • Which is the strongest plastic in the world?
  • The Takeaway 

What is Shore D Hardness Scale?

The Shore D hardness test, aka the durometer test, came into existence so people could have a common reference when discussing materials. There are several scales made for discussing different materials. The test is mainly utilized when the materials are too soft for the Rockwell test. Materials with a very soft texture, like rubber and TPE, should be tested with Shore D.

There are three most popular Shore hardness scales:

Shore 00 – Used for measuring gels and rubbers that are very soft in nature.

Shore A is used to measure the hardness of flexible mold rubbers that range from very soft and flexible to somewhat medium flexible to hard with no flexibility whatsoever. Often, semi-rigid plastics are also measured on the high end of the Shore A Scale.

Shore D – Utilized to measure the hardness of semi-rigid plastics, hard rubbers, and hard plastics.

How Does the Shore Hardness Test Work?

durometer

Durometer, Source - omnexus.specialchem.com

A spring-loaded needle is kept under the plastic in Shore hardness, and pressure is registered. Once the needle is pierced as far as possible, the depth of indentation of the needle is measured, proportional to the plastic’s hardness. ASTM D2240 and ISO 868 are the test methods used for measuring Shore D hardness

Shore hardness measures are dimensionless, which comes between 0 to 100. Higher the number harder the material.

The resulting penetration is dependent on the following factors:

  • Material hardness
  • The shape of the indenter
  • Its viscoelasticity
  • Duration of the test

Fascinating Read – What is Processing and Drying Temperatures of Plastics

Below is a table with typical Shore D hardness values:

Shore Hardness Chart

Material Minimum Value
Maximum Value
ABS – Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
100 100
ABS – Flame Retardent
80 90
ABS – High Heat
80 85
ABS – High Impact
75 85
Acetal 80 95
Acrylic 90 99
CA – Cellulose Acetate
50 95
CAB – Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
60 90
ETFE – Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene
70 75
EVA – Ethylene Vinyl Acetate
15 45
HDPE – High-Density Polyethylene
60 70
HIPS – High Impact Polystyrene
60 75
LDPE – Low-Density Polyethylene
40 50
LLDPE – Linear Low-Density Polyethylene
55 56
Polyamide 11 30% Glass fiber reinforced
73 78
Polyamide 11 conductive
64 64
Polyamide 11 flexible
59 63
Polyamide 11 rigid
64 72
Polyamide 12 conductive
71 –
Polyamide 12 fiber reinforced
70 80
Polyamide 12 flexible
63 63
Polyamide 12 glass filled
58 75
Polyamide 12 rigid
68 72
PBT – Polybutylene Terephthalate
90 95
PC – Polycarbonate
90 95
PCTFE – Polymonochlorotrifluoroethylene
75 85
PE – Polyethylene
70 80
PEEK – Polyetheretherketone
85 95
PEI – Polyetherimide
95 99
PET – Polyethylene Terephthalate
85 95
Polypropylene Copolymer
70 80
Polypropylene – Homopolymer
70 83
Polystyrene crystal
85 90
Polystyrene – High heat
90 95
PTFE – Polytetrafluoroethylene
50 65
PVDF – Polyvinylidene Fluoride
65 82
SAN – Styrene Acrylonitrile
75 95
Thermoplastic Starch
52.4 53.6
XLPE – Crosslinked Polyethylene
30 80

Interesting Read – Mold Temperature in Plastics | A Complete Analysis

What does Shore hardness Mean for a Manufacturer?

What does Shore hardness Mean for a Manufacturer?

Durometer scale hardness or Shore D hardness, which mold rubber should be used to mold a specific component or part.

Now, the question is, how seamlessly will you be able to remove the original model from the mold once it is cured?

As a manufacturer, one needs to understand that material with specific hardness for your application. For example, you wouldn’t choose rubber or a material with a durometer of 70A to make a product that is supposed to be flexible. A 70A materials are hard and stiff and wouldn’t provide enough flexibility to remove the part without breaking it.

A wiser choice would be a Shore 30A material that will offer enough flexibility to remove the part easily.

FAQs

What is hardness measured in?

The SI unit of hardness is N/mm². The unit pascal is also often used for hardness. However, hardness should never be confused with pressure. Different hardness has different scales of measurement. Therefore, the units are not suitable for direct comparison.

What is a Durometer?

A durometer or Shore Durometer is a standard way to measure the hardness of materials like plastics and rubbers. Durometer measurement scales range from 0 to 100, but there is no such thing as a durometer unit of measurement. In layman’s terms, a durometer is a dimensions measurement.

What is the difference between Shore A and Shore D?

The major difference between Shore A hardness scale and Shore D is that the former measures softer rubbers (including thermoplastic rubber). The latter is used for measuring harder, more rigid materials.

What is the difference between Shore and Rockwell hardness testing methods?

As mentioned earlier, Shore A and Shore D testing methods measure hardness in flexible and semi-flexible materials. In contrast, the Rockwell hardness method is generally chosen for ‘tougher’ plastics such as polycarbonate polystyrene, nylon, and acetal.

Which is the strongest plastic in the world?

Ans. Going by the terms of the durometer scale, Polycarbonate is the strongest plastic globally in terms of strength, durability, and impact resistance. It is 200 times stronger than glass and is warranted against cracks and breakage.

Suggested Read 

  • What is the Density of Plastics? | The Complete Guide
  • 7 Types of Plastics | An Helpful Illustrated Guide
  • What is Rotational Molding | Rotational Molding Process | Advantages & Disadvantages | Best Material for Rotational Molding
  • 6 Best Plastic Molding Techniques | A Complete Analysis
  • What is a Plastic Pallet? | The Definitive Guide
  • Food Grade Plastic: The Best Plastics for Food Applications
  • What is Condensation Polymerization? | The Definitive Guide
  • What is Anionic Polymerization? An In-Depth Analysis
  • Types of Gates for Injection Molding – A Detailed Guide

The Takeaway 

That was my take on the Shore hardness scale and all its attributes. Choose wisely and strategically with durometer hardness, making your material selection process much easier.

Kindly share your thoughts and questions in the comment box.

Have a terrific day.

Filed Under: General Properties

Ashish Mittal

About Ashish Mittal

The plastic industry mainly uses injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, and compression molding techniques of which Ashish holds tremendous knowledge

Comments

  1. AvatarFloyd says

    November 19, 2022 at 5:26 am

    hi, i want to make a mold of a roman temple of the winds capital which sets on my concrete columns. It is a ten inch capital. What is recommended as a compound to pour over this capital and also hold the concrete poured into it. Any suggestions?

    Reply

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