Instrumented impact of polymeric materials as a function of temperature and in sheet form is a useful tool for characterizing the toughness behavior of the materials in end-use applications.

The methods employed are fast and provide more information than do the classical determinations such as the Izod and Gardner impact tests. Examples of how the load-time and energy-time traces can be used in conjunction with temperature studies to determine ductile-brittle transition behavior will be illustrated.

In addition, the effect of fabrication and flow patterns on impact response and the effect of specimen thickness on impact are discussed.