Overview
EN ISO 8623:2015 (ISO 8623:2015) specifies test methods and provides characteristic values for distilled tall‑oil fatty acids used in paints and varnishes. It is a CEN-endorsed European standard that replaces earlier editions and focuses on standardized laboratory procedures and typical property limits used for quality control and material specification of tall‑oil fatty acids in coating applications.
Key topics
The standard defines test methods and typical characteristic values for the following properties (with their referenced test methods):
- Density
- Colour: max. 5 (Gardner scale, ISO 4630)
- Acid value: min. 192 mg KOH/g (ISO 2114)
- Saponification value: min. 193 mg KOH/g (ISO 3681)
- Iodine value: min. 125 g Iodine/100 g (ISO 3961)
- Unsaponifiable matter: max. 5% (mass fraction) - Determination via the diethyl ether method given in Annex A
- Rosin acid content: max. 2.5% (mass fraction) - Determination method provided in Annex B
Annex A (normative) details the diethyl‑ether extraction procedure for measuring unsaponifiable matter; Annex B (normative) describes the butanol‑sulfuric acid esterification and titration procedure to quantify rosin acids (expressed as abietic acid).
Applications
EN ISO 8623:2015 is primarily used for:
- Quality control of incoming tall‑oil fatty acid raw materials for coatings manufacturers
- Supplier specification and acceptance testing in procurement contracts
- Formulation and R&D when selecting or comparing tall‑oil fatty acids for paints, varnishes and related binders
- Laboratory testing in independent QC and certification labs to ensure consistency with industry characteristic values
- Regulatory and conformity assessment where standardized test data are required
Typical users include coatings formulators, raw‑material producers, QA/QC laboratories, procurement specialists, and standards/technical compliance teams.
Related standards
EN ISO 8623:2015 references several normative standards used for individual test procedures and laboratory practice, including:
These cross‑references ensure harmonized, reproducible test methods for tall‑oil fatty acids in the coatings industry.