The standard “EN ISO 9142 Adhesives – Guidance on the selection of standard laboratory aging conditions for testing bonded joints”, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and later published as a European standard within the scope of harmonization efforts, describes laboratory aging conditions under which adhesive joints may be exposed to various environmental influences (climatic or chemical). This standard is used to evaluate the effects of these influences on specific properties. The aging conditions are applicable to bonded assemblies and can be used to create a series of tests for evaluating an adhesive.
The results obtained using the procedures described in this standard are not necessarily applicable to determining the service life of a glued assembly, as there is no direct correlation between test results and the behavior of a glued assembly under service conditions over a specific period. However, for specific applications, experience with the procedures may enable the establishment of a correlation. The aging conditions should preferably be relevant to the specific application of the adhesive.
The equipment used in these tests includes:
The number and type of test specimens used depend on the properties to be measured and the required aging conditions. Test specimens should be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the relevant ISO standard test method. A sufficient number of specimens are prepared to provide homogeneous specimen sets and control specimens for testing. The following standards are applicable: ISO 4587, ISO 4588, and ISO 6238.
Samples must be kept in a conditioning chamber for at least 24 hours before being subjected to aging. Conditioning should be performed after the adhesive has cured according to the material specification or methods specified by the adhesive manufacturer.
Prior to aging, the required properties for the sample to be tested are determined using conditioned samples and an appropriate test method. The conditioned samples are exposed to the environmental conditions defined in the annexes to this standard as required. Post-aging properties are determined in accordance with the procedures of the relevant standards. Unless otherwise specified in the annexes, test samples are conditioned in the conditioning chamber as follows:
In addition to the test results, all changes observed during aging and testing periods, including the type of failure, should be recorded. For control purposes, a representative group of samples should be kept in the conditioning chamber for the duration covered by the selected aging conditions.
For measurable characteristics, the results obtained are expressed as follows:
For properties that cannot be measured, the nature of the observed effects should be specified, e.g., fracture between the substrate and the adhesive, or disruption of the adhesive bond cohesion due to partial or complete corrosion of the substrate beneath the adhesive.
It may be useful to verify that a change in a measured characteristic is solely due to the aging process by using the following three values:
In short, this standard describes laboratory aging procedures to evaluate how adhesive bonds are affected by various environmental stresses (climatic and chemical) by exposing these factors to the fundamental properties (such as strength, cohesion, or appearance) of the bonded assembly.
This standard is particularly useful in the following areas:
This standard emphasizes that these accelerated aging tests do not directly predict the real-world service life of a bonded joint. There is no simple mathematical relationship between laboratory results and long-term field performance. However, for many applications, accumulated experience allows for the establishment of practical relationships between test results and in-service behavior.
Engineers and quality laboratories commonly use the EN ISO 9142 standard along with:
The EN ISO 9142 standard is important in the adhesives and bonding industry because it provides a repeatable framework for evaluating how environmental factors affect the long-term performance of adhesive bonds, which is critical where adhesives replace or complement traditional mechanical bonding methods. The main reasons why this standard has significant practical value are as follows:
Tests are excellent for comparison and relative ranking, but they are not a direct indicator of real-world service life. There is no universal mathematical correlation between accelerated aging hours and years of service. However, industrial experience allows many companies to establish practical correlations for specific adhesive types and applications.
In conclusion, the EN ISO 9142 standard is one of the fundamental standards that makes modern adhesive bonding technology reliable, comparable, and industrially applicable in high-risk sectors.
For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its clients, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting them in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services in accordance with the EN ISO 9142 standard.
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