SIST EN ISO 4611:2011

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2011
1DGRPHãþD
SIST EN ISO 4611:2009
Polimerni materiali - Ugotavljanje vplivov vlažne toplote, vodne prhe in slane
megle (ISO 4611:2010)
Plastics - Determination of the effects of exposure to damp heat, water spray and salt
mist (ISO 4611:2010)
Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des Verhaltens bei Einwirkung von warmfeuchtem Klima,
Sprühwasser und Salznebel (ISO 4611:2010)
Plastiques - Détermination des effets d'une exposition à la chaleur humide, au brouillard
d'eau et au brouillard salin (ISO 4611:2010)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 4611:2010
ICS:
83.080.01 Polimerni materiali na Plastics in general
splošno
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN ISO 4611
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
December 2010
ICS 83.080.01 Supersedes EN ISO 4611:2008
English Version
Plastics - Determination of the effects of exposure to damp heat,
water spray and salt mist (ISO 4611:2010)
Plastiques - Détermination des effets d'une exposition à la Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des Verhaltens bei Einwirkung
chaleur humide, au brouillard d'eau et au brouillard salin von warmfeuchtem Klima, Sprühwasser und Salznebel
(ISO 4611:2010) (ISO 4611:2010)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 14 December 2010.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2010 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 4611:2010: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3

Foreword
This document (EN ISO 4611:2010) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61 “Plastics” in
collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics” the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2011, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at
the latest by June 2011.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 4611:2008.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 4611:2010 has been approved by CEN as a EN ISO 4611:2010 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 4611
Fourth edition
2010-12-15
Plastics — Determination of the effects of
exposure to damp heat, water spray and
salt mist
Plastiques — Détermination des effets d'une exposition à la chaleur
humide, au brouillard d'eau et au brouillard salin

Reference number
ISO 4611:2010(E)
©
ISO 2010
ISO 4611:2010(E)
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ii © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved

ISO 4611:2010(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
0 Introduction.v
1 Scope.1
2 Normative references.1
3 Principle .1
4 General test conditions.2
4.1 Equipment requirements .2
4.2 Exposure conditions.3
4.3 Test specimens (see 5.2, 6.2 and 7.2) .5
5 Change of mass.5
5.1 General .5
5.2 Test specimens.6
5.3 Conditioning .7
5.4 Procedure.7
5.5 Expression of results.7
6 Change of dimensions and appearance .7
6.1 General .7
6.2 Test specimens.8
6.3 Conditioning .8
6.4 Procedure.8
6.5 Expression of results.8
7 Change of other physical properties.9
7.1 General .9
7.2 Test specimens.9
7.3 Conditioning .9
7.4 Procedure.10
7.5 Expression of results.10
8 Test report.10
Annex A (informative) Absorption of moisture by a test specimen of a plastics material in
equilibrium with its conditioning atmosphere .11
Bibliography.12

ISO 4611:2010(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 4611 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 6, Ageing, chemical
and environmental resistance.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 4611:2008), which has been technically revised.
The main changes concern the equipment requirements and exposure conditions specified in Clause 4.
iv © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved

ISO 4611:2010(E)
0 Introduction
0.1 Various test methods are available for the exposure of plastics to different aggressive agents acting in a
combined and simultaneous fashion, such as natural weathering. Other test methods are available for the
purpose of a separate evaluation of the action of individual aggressive agents. Among the latter there are, for
example, tests for the resistance to specific chemicals and to radiations of a definite spectral range.
For some applications, it may be desirable to evaluate the behaviour of the materials in a hot damp
atmosphere just below the saturation limit of water vapour, as well as in the presence of the liquid phase.
In these conditions not only water absorption or leaching of some ingredients of the composition may be
observed but also degradation phenomena due to hydrolysis, exudation of plasticizers, etc.
It may also be desirable sometimes to evaluate the behaviour of materials in the presence of a highly
corrosive electrolyte, such as a sodium chloride solution (salt mist), which is the principal aggressive agent
present in marine environments and of particular importance in the case of nautical applications. It is well
known that sodium chloride has no noticeable action on the polymers that are the basic components of
plastics, and that salt solutions, owing to their higher osmotic pressure, are normally absorbed by plastics to a
lesser degree than pure water, but it cannot be assumed a priori that they have no action on composite
materials, containing fillers, reinforcing components or pigments, for instance.
Furthermore, the evaluation of the effect of salt mist can be very important for finished or semi-finished articles
which, while basically consisting of plastic materials, do contain some metallic elements, such as moulded-in
inserts, thin laminated foils, surface coatings applied by electro-plating or other procedures, or, lastly, metal
cores sheathed with plastics by extrusion or by dipping in pastes or fluidized-bed powders.
0.2 Methods and equipment for obtaining reproducible aggressive environments of the above types are well
known and have been described by International Standards relevant to other materials and IEC (International
Electrotechnical Commission) standards relevant to electrical and electronic components. The same
equipment and procedures described in these standards can also be employed for plastics, with appropriate
care and adjustments.
0.3 The present International Standard is intended to provide general guidance only, on the choice of
suitable equipment and procedures for obtaining the exposure conditions described above and for the
preparation of test specimens. It also only gives general guidance on the properties to be evaluated. Specific
details are given in the various ISO and IEC publications.
For the expression of results, the present International Standard follows, as far as possible, the same criteria
adopted in the existing test methods for the exposure to chemicals (see ISO 175) and to natural weathering or
artificial light (see ISO 4582).
0.4 These tests are intended to yield data about the effects of the described exposures on the materials;
however, a direct correlation between the experimental results and the behaviour in service is not to be
inferred.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 4611:2010(E)

Plastics — Determination of the effects of exposure to damp
heat, water spray and salt mist
1 Scope
1.1 This International Standard specifies the conditions of exposure of plastics to
⎯ damp heat,
⎯ water spray,
⎯ salt mist,
and the methods for the evaluation of the change in some significant characteristics after given exposure
stages.
1.2 This International Standard is, in general, suitable for all plastics in the form of standard test specimens,
and finished articles or parts thereof.
1.3 This International Standard considers separately methods for the determination of
⎯ change in mass,
⎯ change in dimensions and appearance,
⎯ change in physical properties.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 62, Plastics — Determination of water absorption
3 Principle
One or more properties are determined before and after given periods of exposure in the specified
environmental conditions, and any change in appearance is observed. If required, the determination of one or
more properties may be carried out after exposure and a subsequent drying treatment or a reconditioning
treatment carried out with the aim of obtaining the same state of equilibrium with atmospheric humidity as that
of the initial specimens.
ISO 4611:2010(E)
4 General test conditions
4.1 Equipment requirements
4.1.1 General
Equipment used for exposing specimens to steady state or cyclic exposure conditions involving heat, humidity,
and water or salt spray shall be made from corrosion resistant materials that will not interact with or
contaminate the specimens being exposed. In addition, the device shall provide a means to programme and
time the various portions of the exposure cycles that are used.
Sensing devices for measurement of temperature and relative humidity shall be located within the working
volume of the chamber.
Any condensed water shall be continuously drained from the chamber and not re-used until re-purified.
No condensed water from the walls or roof of the chamber can fall on the test specimens.
Water used for the maintenance of the chamber humidity shall have a resistivity of at least 0,05 MΩ cm.
For the water spray (see 4.2.2) and salt mist (see 4.2.3) tests, the following additional equipment requirements
shall be met. The cabinet shall have a volume of not less than 0,4 m since, with smaller volumes, difficulties
have been experienced in ensuring an even distribution of spray. For large-volume cabinets, it is nevertheless
necessary to ensure that the spray is distributed homogeneously throughout the cabinet. The upper parts of
the inside of the cabinet shall be designed so that any drops of spray which form on its surface cannot fall on
the specimens being tested.
For the salt mist test (see 4.2.3), the apparatus should, for environmental reasons, preferably be fitted with
equipment for treating the salt mist after the test, prior to releasing it to the atmosphere, and also with
equipment for treating the salt water produced during the test, prior to discharging it to the sewage system.
For the water spray (see 4.2.2) and salt mist (see 4.2.3) tests, the device for spraying the water or salt solution
shall include a supply of compressed air, a reservoir containing the water or salt solution to be sprayed, and
one or more atomizers. Before it reaches the atomizers, the compressed air shall be passed through a filter to
remove all traces of oil and solid matter, and the atomization shall be carried out at an overpressure of about
70 kPa. The level of the water or salt solution shall be maintained automatically. In order to prevent
evaporation of water from the sprayed droplets, the compressed air shall be humidified, before entering the
atomizer, by passing it through a saturation tower containing distilled or deionized water at a temperature
10 °C above that of the cabinet.
For the salt mist test (see 4.2.3), the characteristics of the mist produced will depend on the pressure used
and on the type of atomizer nozzle. These shall be adjusted so that the concentration of the salt mist in the
cabinet (as measured by the rate of deposition of the mist on a collection surface) and the salt concentration
in the mist are kept within the limits specified in 4.2.3.
NOTE ISO 9142:2003, Annex E, describes exposure conditions similar to those used in this International Standard.
4.1.2 Temperature
The exposure cabinet shall be capable of controlling the temperature in the exposure chamber to within ±2 °C
of the desired equilibrium temperature. The temperature tolerance limits of ±2 °C are intended to allow for any
systematic measurement errors, any temperature drift and any variations in temperature at different points in
the chamber. However, in order to maintain the relative humidity throughout the chamber within the required
tolerances, it is necessary to keep the temperature difference between any two points in the chamber at any
given time within narrower limits. Specimens being exposed in the chamber shall not be subjected to radiant
heat from the chamber temperature-control devices.
The chamber temperature shall be measured at least 100 mm from the walls.
2 © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved

ISO 4611:2010(E)
4.2 Exposure conditions
4.2.1 Damp heat
4.2.1.1 General
The preferred exposure conditions correspond to those described in the IEC publications referred to in 4.2.1.2
and 4.2.1.3. Different temperature and/or humidity conditions may be used, however, if specified in the
relevant product specifications or by agreement between the interested parties.
4.2.1.2 Steady state test
Unless otherwise specified, the chamber shall be at ambient laboratory temperature and humidity at the start
of the test. Place the conditioned specimens (see
...