EN 12004 Adhesives for Ceramic Tiles

The European standard “EN 12004 Adhesives for ceramic tiles” consists of the following subsections published under the same title:

• The standard “EN 12004-1 Part 1: Requirements, evaluation and verification of continuity of performance, classification and marking” is applicable to the following three types of adhesives for ceramic tiles:
  • Cement based for interior and exterior tile installations
  • Dispersions for interior tile installations on walls and floors
  • Those with reaction resin.

This standard contains terminology related to products, working methods, application characteristics, etc. for ceramic tile adhesives. This standard specifies the performance requirements for adhesives for ceramic tiles. It also includes relevant test methods, assessment and verification of continuity of performance, and principles for classification, nomenclature and marking of adhesives for ceramic tiles. However, this standard does not provide criteria or recommendations for the design and installation of ceramic tiles. Ceramic tile adhesives can also be used for other types of tiles (such as natural and agglomerated stone) if they do not adversely affect these materials.

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• The thin bed method refers to the method used to lay tiles on a flat surface with adhesive. The adhesive is usually applied with a trowel to obtain a layer and then combed with a serrated trowel to obtain the correct thickness and flatness.
• The fixing surface refers to the flat hard surface on which the tile is fixed.
• Wall and floor tiles are tiles made of ceramic or natural and agglomerated stones.
• Cementitious adhesive is a mixture of hydraulic binders, aggregates and organic additives mixed with water or liquid additive immediately before use.
• Dispersion adhesive is a mixture of ready-to-use organic binders in the form of an aqueous polymer dispersion, organic additives and mineral fillers.
• Reaction resin adhesive is a mixture of one or more components.
• The serrated trowel is a toothed tool that makes it possible to apply the adhesive as a series of ribs of equal thickness to the fixing surface or the back of the tile.
• In the floating method, the adhesive is applied only to the fixing surface, usually with a trowel to obtain a uniform layer and then combed with a serrated trowel.
• Floating and buttering method, the adhesive is applied to the fixing surface and the back side of the tile.

• Determining the open period
• Determination of slippage
• Determination of tensile adhesion strength for cement based adhesives
• Determination of shear adhesion strength of dispersion adhesives
• Determination of shear adhesion strength of reaction resin adhesives
• Determination of transverse deformation of cement based adhesives

Ceramic tile adhesives can also be used for other types of tiles (such as natural and agglomerated stones) if they do not adversely affect the stones. This standard may include hazardous materials and processes. Persons using this standard should be familiar with normal laboratory practices. This standard is not intended to address all safety issues, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to ensure compliance with existing regulations.

A minimum of 15605 kg of adhesive is taken for testing in accordance with EN ISO 1067 and EN 2 standards. Standard test conditions are 23 degrees plus/minus 2 degrees temperature and 50 percent plus/minus 5 percent relative humidity, and the air velocity in the test area must be less than 0,2 m/s. Tolerances for conditioning periods for all test samples are given in the table provided in the standard. All test materials are conditioned under standard conditions for at least 24 hours before starting the test. The adhesive to be tested must be within its shelf life, if specified. Tiles must be checked before conditioning to ensure that they are unused, clean and dry. The type of tile must be as specified in this standard under special test procedures.

The test substrate shall be at least 35 mm thick, have a moisture content of less than 3 percent by mass (carbide method), and have a water absorption of 4 cm0,5 to 3 cm1,5 on the surface after 3 hours. The tensile adhesion strength shall be at least 1,5 N/mm2. The test surface shall have a surface similar to that obtained using a wooden trowel and shall be clean and dust-free at the time of testing.

If the substrate is recommended for ceramic tile application by the adhesive manufacturer, other substrates may be used by agreement. To demonstrate compatibility with other optional substrates, the adhesive shall be applied to the selected substrate in accordance with the open time test method. The requirement is considered to be met when a result of at least 0,5 N/mm2 is obtained or when cohesion failure of the substrate occurs.

• The standard “EN 12004-3 Part 3: Terminology, characteristics, identification and marking” describes additional specifications for adhesives for ceramic tiles. This standard covers cementitious adhesives for indoor and outdoor tile installations, dispersion and reaction resin adhesives for indoor tile installations, walls and floors. This standard provides the terminology for products, working methods, application features for ceramic tile adhesives. However, this standard does not provide criteria or recommendations for the design and installation of ceramic tiles.

Our organization, which has been trying to support businesses from every sector with its testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies carried out in a wide range for years, has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. In this context, testing services in accordance with the "EN 12004 Adhesives for Ceramic Tiles" standard are also provided to businesses.