This International Standard specifies a method for determining the Izod impact strength of plastics under defined conditions. A number of different types of specimen and test configurations are defined. Different test parameters are specified according to the type of material, the type of test specimen and the type of notch.

The method is used to investigate the behaviour of specified types of specimen under the impact conditions defined and for estimating the brittleness or toughness of specimens within the limitations inherent in the test conditions.

The method is suitable for use with the following range of materials:
- rigid thermoplastic moulding and extrusion materials, including filled and reinforced compounds in addition to unfilled types; rigid thermoplastics sheets;
- rigid thermosetting moulding materials, including filled and reinforced compounds; rigid thermosetting sheets,
including laminates;
- fibre-reinforced thermosetting and thermoplastic composites incorporating unidirectional or non-unidirectional
reinforcements such as mat, woven fabrics, woven rovings, chopped strands, combination and hybrid reinforcements, rovings and milled fibres and sheet made from pre-impregnated materials (prepregs);
- thermotropic liquid-crystal polymers.