Overview
EN ISO 472:2013/A1:2018 is Amendment 1 to the international vocabulary standard ISO 472:2013, adopted by CEN as a European Standard. Its purpose is to update and expand the standardized plastics vocabulary by deleting a small set of obsolete entries and adding numerous additional terms and definitions relevant to polymer science, processing and testing. The amendment was approved by CEN in 2018 and is published in the three official languages (English, French, German).
Key Topics
This amendment focuses on clear, harmonized definitions used across the plastics industry. Notable technical items added or clarified include:
- General material terms: ageing, laminate, alloy, polyolefin, resin transfer moulding (RTM), unsaturated polyester resin.
- Polymer structure and chemistry: degree of polymerization, constitutional unit, polycondensation, polymer blend, interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), semi‑IPN.
- Processing and moulding: gate, submarine (tunnel) gate, feed, family mould, electroformed mould, transfer moulding, hand lay up, degate/defin (verbs).
- Mechanical and fracture properties: compressive strength (MPa), Poisson’s ratio, critical energy release rate (GIC, J·m‑2), critical stress intensity factor (KIC, Pa·√m) and their relation via elastic modulus.
- Electrical and physical properties: volume resistivity, anisotropic behavior, damping.
- Adhesives and composites: pot life, wet out, S‑glass, unidirectional laminate.
Where appropriate, units and notes (for example MPa for stress, J/m2 for energy release rate) are provided to promote unambiguous use.
Applications
This vocabulary amendment supports consistent communication, specification and documentation across multiple practical areas:
- Preparing technical specifications, datasheets and product standards
- Test laboratories and quality assurance for material characterization and reporting
- R&D and materials selection in automotive, aerospace, consumer goods and construction
- Contracting, procurement and regulatory compliance where precise terminology reduces disputes
- Standards development, education and technical publishing in polymer science
Using the standardized terms reduces ambiguity in contracts, test reports and design documentation and helps ensure interoperability across international supply chains.
Related Standards
- EN ISO 472:2013 (base vocabulary standard)
- ISO 472:2013/Amd 1:2018 (international amendment text)
- Documents developed by ISO/TC 61 (Plastics) and CEN/TC 249 (Plastics)
Keywords: EN ISO 472:2013/A1:2018, plastics vocabulary, ISO 472 amendment, polymer terminology, fracture toughness, polyolefin, resin transfer moulding, volume resistivity.