What each standard is for and why a buyer or specifier might ask for it. Summaries are our own words. Confirm the current edition before you quote one.
Measures indentation hardness of rubber with a spring-loaded durometer. Shore A is used for most seal compounds; Shore D for harder materials.
First number on any datasheet; easy to check at goods-in.
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ISO route to Shore hardness for rubber, comparable to ASTM D2240 in principle.
Used on export orders that follow ISO method sets.
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Hardness in international rubber hardness degrees, measured with a small ball indenter. Common on O-rings and small cross-sections.
Needed when the part is too small for a durometer foot.
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Pulls dumbbell or ring specimens to break and reports tensile strength, elongation at break and stress at set elongations (modulus).
The base data set for every compound.
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ISO equivalent of ASTM D412, with its own specimen shapes and speeds.
Used with ISO-based customer specs.
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Measures resistance of vulcanised rubber to tear growth using notched or nicked specimens.
Important for parts that are stretched over hardware or demoulded with undercuts.
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ISO tear test using trouser, angle or crescent specimens.
ISO counterpart to ASTM D624.
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Squeezes a rubber disc or button for a set time at temperature, then measures how much thickness is not recovered. Method B (constant deflection) is the usual seal test.
The best single indicator of long-term sealing force retention; sensitive to cure and post-cure.
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ISO method for compression set at ambient or elevated temperature.
Compare only values made with the same method, deflection and specimen size.
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Defines test procedures that apply to finished O-rings, including compression set and tensile data on rings.
Allows testing of the part rather than a plaque.
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Measures how much energy a rubber returns when struck by a falling plunger.
Useful for screening cure state and polymer type.
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A set of wet-chemical and gravimetric methods for analysing the composition of rubber products, including extractables, ash, carbon black and polymer fraction.
Core of reverse-engineering work.
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Weighs a specimen in air and in liquid to get density. Plastics-focused, widely used for rubber too.
Check on every batch; a quick sign of mixing errors.
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ISO method for density of vulcanised rubber.
ISO counterpart for batch checks.
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General rules for preparing, conditioning and measuring rubber test pieces.
Reduces scatter between labs.
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Describes equipment and procedures for mixing standard test compounds and moulding standard vulcanised sheets.
Foundation for lab mixing and plaque preparation.
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Covers cutting test pieces out of finished rubber products.
Used when only a finished part is available.
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Measures the viscosity and early cure (scorch) of raw rubber or compounds in a rotating-disc viscometer.
Describes how a compound will flow and how long it is safe to process.
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ISO method for Mooney viscosity.
ISO counterpart to ASTM D1646.
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Measures torque against time on a sample in a heated, oscillating cavity. Gives ML, MH, scorch time and t90.
The standard cure-curve for batch release; central to Pascalor batch records.
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ISO method for rotorless rheometers.
ISO counterpart to ASTM D5289.
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ISO method for the older oscillating-disc type of curemeter.
Seen in older specifications.
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Ages rubber test pieces in a hot-air oven for a set time and temperature, then compares properties with unaged values.
The basic heat-resistance screen.
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ISO hot-air ageing method.
ISO counterpart to ASTM D573.
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Guidance for extrapolating long-term ageing behaviour from tests at several temperatures.
Useful for service-life claims; extrapolation has limits and should be stated.
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Stretches a specimen, freezes it, then lets it warm up and records the temperature at which it retracts by 10%, 30%, 50% and 70%.
TR10 is the figure many polymer datasheets quote for low-temperature capability.
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ISO version of the retraction test.
ISO counterpart to ASTM D1329.
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Finds the temperature at which rubber specimens fracture when struck.
Gives a lower limit than retraction tests.
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Determines the glass transition temperature of a material by differential scanning calorimetry.
Identifies polymer type and low-temperature behaviour.
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ISO method for Tg of raw rubbers by DSC.
Used in reverse engineering to confirm polymer type.
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Exposes strained rubber specimens to ozone and records crack formation.
Relevant for outdoor and electrical uses; fluoro-rubbers and HNBR are usually good performers.
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ISO method for ozone resistance of strained rubber.
ISO counterpart to ASTM D1149.
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Immerses rubber in a liquid at set temperature and time and records changes in mass, volume, hardness, tensile and elongation. Defines reference oils IRM 901/902/903 and reference fuels.
The standard route to fluid-resistance data on seal compounds.
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ISO immersion method with similar principles to ASTM D471.
ISO counterpart.
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Defines reference elastomers used to characterise how test liquids affect rubber.
Used to qualify reference fluids.
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Gives the standard abbreviations for rubbers. FKM, HNBR and FEPM designations come from here.
Use these codes in specifications.
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ISO list of rubber abbreviations, equivalent in purpose to ASTM D1418.
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A coded callout system that describes a rubber material by type, class, hardness, tensile and further requirements. Equivalent to SAE J200.
A single line can describe a compound; widely used for procurement.
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SAE version of the ASTM D2000 classification.
Used on automotive and fluid-power drawings.
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The N-number classification system for carbon blacks used in rubber, such as N550, N774 and N990.
Needed to specify the black in a recipe.
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Identifies the polymer in a rubber by infrared spectroscopy.
Often the first step in reverse engineering.
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ISO infrared identification method.
ISO counterpart.
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Identifies rubber by pyrolysing it and analysing the vapour by gas chromatography.
Complements IR, especially for blends and filled compounds.
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Uses thermogravimetric analysis to measure volatile, polymer, carbon black and ash fractions.
Quick, repeatable composition screen.
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A multi-part ISO series that uses thermogravimetry to find the composition of vulcanised and uncured rubber. Which part applies depends on the rubber type, so check that the part covers fluoro-rubbers or HNBR before relying on it.
ISO route comparable to ASTM D6370.
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Guide for dynamic testing of vulcanised rubber.
Applies to dynamic seals and damping parts.
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General guidance on determining dynamic properties of rubber.
ISO counterpart for DMA planning.
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Norwegian industry standard that sets out a qualification route for sealing materials, including rapid gas decompression and ageing tests.
The best-known RGD requirement for offshore sealing elastomers.
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International standard describing how to qualify elastomers for oil and gas service, including ageing in test media and rapid gas decompression. Closely related to NORSOK M-710.
A common basis for operator and manufacturer qualification programmes.
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Companion standard for thermoplastics.
Reference only; not for elastomers.
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Specification for wellhead and tree equipment. It sets design, material and testing requirements that include non-metallic seals and temperature ratings.
Seal compounds in this equipment are normally supplied against the equipment maker's own qualification.
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Specification for blowout preventers and related drill-through equipment, which use elastomer sealing elements.
Elastomer packers and seals are qualified by equipment makers.
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Specification for subsea wellhead and tree equipment.
Subsea sealing materials are normally qualified through operator and equipment-maker programmes.
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Specification for pipeline valves, including requirements for soft seals.
Valve-seat and stem seals.
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Specification for unbonded flexible pipe, which uses polymers and elastomers in the structure.
Reference only.
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A test method for exposing elastomers to sour gas environments and assessing the effect.
Used in sour-service evaluation of seals.
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A test method for exposing elastomers to sour liquid environments.
Used in sour-service evaluation of seals.
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A set of requirements for metallic materials in sour service. It does not qualify elastomers.
Often quoted by mistake for seals. Elastomers need ISO 23936-2 or an equivalent route.
Metallic materials only. Confirm the current edition and any amendments before quoting it.
Tests whether substances leaching from a component into drinking water stay within health-based limits. It is a health-effects standard and does not rate performance.
Common US market requirement. The approval belongs to the specific formulation, manufacturer and facility.
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Sets a method for determining lead content of drinking water system components.
Used with NSF/ANSI 61 in the US.
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Covers materials used in food equipment, including requirements for rubber.
Applies to food processing equipment seals.
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Covers equipment for pools and spas.
Reference only.
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UK route for products in contact with water for human consumption.
UK market requirement for water-contact seals.
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German assessment guideline for elastomers in drinking water applications.
Requested by German buyers.
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Tests whether a material promotes microbial growth in drinking water.
Often asked for alongside the elastomer guideline.
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Australian and New Zealand test standard.
Relevant for exports there.
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US federal food-contact regulation for rubber articles intended for repeated use. It lists permitted ingredients and extraction limits.
Common requirement for food and beverage equipment seals.
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EU framework regulation for materials and articles in contact with food. There is no EU-wide rubber-specific measure, so national rules and recommendations apply.
Needed for EU food-contact claims.
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German recommendation for rubber in food contact, widely used as a reference in Europe.
Frequently requested by European buyers.
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European requirements for rubber seals and diaphragms for gas appliances and equipment.
Gas appliance seals.
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European material requirements for seals in gas and hydrocarbon service.
Gas distribution seals.
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European material requirements for pipe-joint seals in water and drainage applications.
Water and drainage seals.
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General requirements for a quality management system.
Large buyers often require a certified system from approved suppliers.
You hold no certification until an accredited body issues one.
Requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
Use accredited labs for test reports that must hold up.
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EU chemicals regulation. Importers and manufacturers of substances and mixtures have obligations on registration, communication and restrictions.
Compounds sold into the EU can bring REACH duties for the chemicals in them.
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US chemicals law. Imported substances must be on the TSCA inventory or exempt.
Check inventory status before importing raw materials or compounds.
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A proposal under REACH to restrict a very wide group of fluorine-containing substances. Fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers may be affected. Its scope and timing have changed, so follow the current status.
A strategic risk for FKM and FEPM; essential-use arguments matter.
Status changes. Check ECHA and your trade body for the current position.
Gives guidance on storing vulcanised rubber products: temperature, humidity, light, ozone, contact with other materials, and shelf-life thinking.
Cited by buyers who ask how long a seal may sit in a warehouse before use.
Guidance, not a pass or fail test. Read the current edition.
Standards are published by their respective organisations (ASTM International, ISO, SAE, API, NORSOK, AMPP and others). Pascalor is independent of all of them. Listing a standard does not mean that a Pascalor product has been tested to it.
