Imagine you just purchased a detergent bottle or shampoo container and found it cracked after a few days of use. Such cracks are not just cosmetic—they can lead to serious leakage, contamination, and consumer dissatisfaction. Presto Testing Instruments cares about the inclusive environment and takes a very serious attitude when it comes to quality checks.
What Is the ESCR Test?
The ESCR test full form is the Environmental Stress Crack Resistance test. It’s a critical quality measurement that checks the resistance of the polymer or plastic goods to microcracks under prolonged stress in the presence of surface-active agents, like detergents or oil. In industries where containers are exposed to chemical stress during storage or transport, the ESCR test plays a major role.
Whether you manufacture HDPE containers, PET bottles, or chemical drums, it helps determine whether your products will survive the situations or not.
What Makes the ESCR Testing Machine a Must-Have?
Reliability and durability are not only specified for products like automobiles and electronic items, but also for containers, bottles, etc. If lakhs of bottles of a beverage company suddenly develop premature cracks, that company has to recall the entire batch, incurring transportation, disposal, and replacement costs. And the total amount will not be any less, ranging from a few lakhs to crores.
The ESCR tester is there to prevent the company from having that loss. In simple terms, it is a purpose-built machine designed to simulate real-world stress conditions. The ESCR tester creates a controlled environment where the material is subjected to mechanical stress or exposed to a specific chemical agent.
Key Features of Presto ESCR Testing Machine
The primary features of Presto ESCR testing machine include
- Temperature controlled through PID controller
- Highly accurate test results under uniform temperatures in the chamber
- Advanced digital microprocessor-based PID-based temperature controller
- Provision of Set Value (SV) and Process Value (PV) on the temperature display
- Inbuilt calibration features with reference to the master PID controller
- Easy setup for notching and conditioning samples
This machine creates harsh usage scenarios to check the reliability of products like detergent bottles, soft drink bottles, cleaning containers, and industrial packaging. Without being tested, these bottles may develop cracks and cause leakage.
This stress cracking happens due to the breakdown of polymers. The plastic or polymers have to endure the total lifecycle of the product before breakdown. Now, for different products, the duration differs. For juice bottles made of Polyethylene, the stress cracking happens after a few months, while for automobile fuel tankers or natural gas pipelines, the same can happen after some decades.
What Are the Procedures of Environmental Stress Testing?
The ESCR test procedure follows a systematic path to determine the qualities of the products. Most industries use materials like HDPE and PET to manufacture their products. These industries include:
- Bottled water and beverages
- Household chemical packaging
- Cosmetic containers
- Automotive fuel tanks
1st Step: Sample Preparation
- Prepare 10 specimens from the plastic part, which is made of HDPE or PET. Make sure these samples are either rectangular or dumbbell-shaped.
- Make a small cut in each sample using a special cutter. This cut acts like a weak spot, similar to a dent or bend, to see how the material handles stress. This small cut is called a notch.
Step 2: Set up Exposure
Now it’s crucial. Without setting up a closed environment, you cannot proceed with the test.
- To set up the exposure, first place the samples in the ESCR machine.
- Now, this machine will wet the samples in a surfactant solution.
- Now, heat conditioning is required. Place the container holding the samples and surfactant in an oven or water bath at a constant temperature.
Typical temperature for this test is usually around 50°C.
- The duration of exposure can range from hours to days, depending on the material’s resistance.
Step 3: Observation Period
- The samples are periodically checked for cracks.
- The test ends when 50% or more of the specimens crack or reach the maximum test duration.
- Observations include:
-
Time to first crack
-
Number of cracked samples
-
Crack propagation pattern
-
Step 4: Data Reporting
- % of samples cracked
- Time to failure (in hours)
- ESCR rating: Qualitative (Pass/Fail) or Quantitative (e.g., 24 hours to crack)
Which Equipment Do You Require For This Test?
|
Equipment |
Purpose |
|
ESCR Testing Machine |
Holds and heats the test bath uniformly |
|
Notching Tool |
Creates a controlled stress point |
|
Surfactant (Igepal CO-630) |
Simulates an environmental agent |
|
Temperature-Controlled Water Bath |
Maintains test temperature |
|
Stopwatch or Timer |
Tracks time to failure |
|
Microscope or Magnifier (optional) |
Examines crack propagation |
Stress Crack Test for PET Bottles
One of the most common applications of environmental stress testing is the stress crack test for PET bottles, widely used in beverages and household products. PET is generally robust, but when exposed to repeated stress and cleaning agents, micro-cracks can emerge. The ESCR test identifies such vulnerabilities before the product reaches consumers.
FAQ
What is the biggest difference between the ESCR test and a regular strength test?
The standard strength test checks how much load a material can bear. On the other hand, the ESCR tester measures how long a plastic material can resist cracking under long-term stress and chemical exposure. In short, ESCR focuses on durability alongside load capacity.
What is the price of the ECSR Machine?
If you are looking for the ESCR tester price, kindly give us a call at +91 9210903903 or email us at info@prestogroup.com.
What kind of solution is used in the ESCR machine?
Most commonly, non-ionic surfactants like Igepal CO-630 are used. These simulate the effects of detergents or cleaning agents on plastic containers.
Get the Best ESCR Tester at the Right Price!
Looking for an ESCR Tester that delivers precision and reliability? Our expert team can guide you to the perfect model that fits your budget and testing needs.
Call: +91 9210 903 903
Email: info@prestogroup.com
Get an accurate ESCR tester price today — and ensure your products meet the highest quality standards.
