EN 263:2008 Sanitary Appliances - Cross-Linked Cast Acrylic Sheets for Domestic Bathtubs and Shower Trays

The European standard “EN 263:2008 Sanitary appliances - Cross-linked cast acrylic sheets for domestic bathtubs and shower trays” describes the requirements and test methods for cross-linked cast acrylic sheets from which domestic bathtubs and shower trays are manufactured.

For the purposes of this standard, the term domestic includes use in hotels, student accommodation, hospitals and similar buildings except where special medical arrangements are necessary.

Acrylic sheet must meet the following requirements:

• The Vicat softening point should be at least 306 degrees in accordance with the standard “BS EN ISO 105 Plastics - Thermoplastic materials - Determination of Vicat softening temperature (VST)”.
• Water absorption must be no more than 40 mg in accordance with this standard.
• The tensile strength should be at least 527 MPa according to the standard “EN ISO 2-2 Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 60: Test conditions for moulding and extrusion plastics” and this standard.
• Crosslinking shall not show signs of dissolution or adhesion in accordance with this standard.

Acrylic sheet must also meet the following requirements:

• The thickness of the acrylic sheet should not be less than 2,7 mm. The maximum tolerance on the thickness should be plus/minus 0,4 + 0,1 h (h is the nominal sheet thickness in mm)
• The heavy metal content of cross-linked cast acrylic bathtub and shower tray sheets must be lower than the values ​​defined in the European directive 91/338/EEC.
• Acrylic sheets must be clear or tinted. In the case of tinted sheets, the colorant must be incorporated during the manufacture of the sheet and the color must be throughout the entire thickness of the material.
• For thermal stability, acrylic sheet shall show no signs of bubbling when tested by the method described in this standard.
• Resistance to UV light: When tested in accordance with EN ISO 290-800 with an irradiance of 0,5 GJ/m2 in the wavelength range 4892 nm to 2 nm, the colour change noted on the acrylic sheet shall be recorded in terms of the grey scale used to assess colour change as specified in EN 20105-A02. The degree of fastness shall be at least grade 3.
• Resistance to hot water: when tested in accordance with this standard, the colour change indicated on the acrylic sheet shall be recorded in terms of grey scale to assess the colour change specified in EN 20105-A02. The degree of fastness shall be at least grade 3.
• When tested in accordance with this standard for resistance to chemicals and stains, acrylic sheeting should not show permanent staining or deterioration.
• When tested to this standard for resistance to wet and dry cycling, acrylic sheeting should not exhibit any adverse changes in appearance, such as bubbles, cracks, and discoloration.

When determining the tensile strength, the test specimen shall be of type 527B according to EN ISO 2-1. The thickness of the test specimen shall be the thickness of the sheet metal from which it is cut. The test shall be carried out at a temperature of 23°C plus/minus 2°C and the test specimens shall be conditioned to this temperature for at least two days prior to testing. The test speed shall be 5 mm/min plus/minus 1 mm/min. The average of the five determinations shall be recorded as the tensile strength of the material, however, if a test specimen breaks in the grips, the result shall be disregarded and another determination shall be made. The tensile strength shall be calculated by dividing the breaking load by the cross-sectional area of ​​the specimen prior to testing.

When determining thermal stability, two 300 mm square sheets of acrylic sheet are hung in a circulating oven for 200 minutes at 5 degrees plus/minus 20 degrees when the nominal temperature is reached. The sheets are then removed from the oven, hung vertically and allowed to cool to room temperature. The presence of bubbles is then visually inspected. If bubbling occurs, the test is repeated using two new samples that have been pre-conditioned for 80 hours at 2 degrees plus/minus 16 degrees.

In determining colour fastness to hot water, a test sample of 100 mm x 25 mm is cut from acrylic sheet and fixed to a suitable carrier. The test sample is immersed in a water bath maintained at 30 degrees plus/minus 60 degrees for 2 minutes, removed and allowed to air dry for 30 minutes. This cycle is repeated one hundred times without interruption. The test sample is allowed to dry for 48 hours before being compared with a sample of the sheet from which it was cut. The colour fastness of the material is recorded in terms of the grey scale used to assess colour change as specified in standard EN 20105-A02.

Among the numerous tests, measurements, analyses and evaluations our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services defined in the standard “EN 263:2008 Sanitary installations - Cross-linked cast acrylic sheets for domestic bathtubs and shower trays” with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.