Overview
EN ISO 9142:2003 (ISO 9142:2003) - "Adhesives - Guide to the selection of standard laboratory ageing conditions for testing bonded joints" - provides guidance on laboratory ageing (accelerated ageing) conditions to assess how environmental influences (climatic or chemical) affect bonded joints. The standard defines procedures and preferred test conditions for exposing bonded assemblies to controlled environments, and describes how to prepare specimens, run tests and report results. It emphasizes that laboratory ageing results do not directly predict in-service life, although correlations can be established for specific applications.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose: Selection of laboratory ageing conditions for testing bonded joints and evaluating adhesive performance on bonded assemblies.
- Specimen preparation & conditioning: Specimens must be prepared per relevant test methods and conditioned (typically in a conditioning chamber at (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 5) % RH) for a minimum of 24 hours before ageing.
- Apparatus: Typical chambers and equipment include:
- Conditioning chamber (per ISO 483 / ISO 291)
- Dry-heat chamber (20–200 °C)
- Humid chamber (RH adjustable 25–100 %, temperature measurement ±1 °C, RH measurement ±3 %)
- Cold chamber (e.g., −20 ± 3 °C and −40 ± 3 °C)
- Controlled-pressure chamber (up to 0.6 MPa and down to 0.092 MPa)
- Ageing procedures: Use Annexes A–F which give:
- General conditions (Annex A)
- Single-variable, multi-variable and cyclic atmospheric ageing (Annexes B–D)
- Special procedures and exposure to chemical attack (Annexes E–F)
- Testing before/after ageing: Measure baseline properties, expose specimens to chosen ageing conditions, then re-test after conditioning (3 ± 1 h for >50 % RH exposures or ≥24 h otherwise).
- Results & reporting: Express results as absolute values or relative variations; record visible changes and failure modes. Test report must reference the standard, describe the ageing type and duration, present observations and note deviations.
Applications and users
- Practical for adhesive formulators, materials engineers, test laboratories, quality assurance teams, and product designers who need standardised accelerated ageing protocols for:
- Comparing adhesives under controlled environmental stress
- Evaluating bonded joint durability under climatic, thermal, pressure or chemical exposure
- Developing test matrices to support product qualification (not as a direct service-life prediction)
Related standards (normative references)
Keywords: adhesives, bonded joints, laboratory ageing, accelerated ageing, EN ISO 9142, environmental exposure, test methods, conditioning, bonded assemblies.