Overview - ISO 17194:2022 (Structural adhesives - Standard database of properties)
ISO 17194:2022 defines a standard database of properties for structural adhesives to support selection, testing and engineering use. The standard specifies a selected set of basic material properties, recommended ISO test methods and test conditions to promote traceability and comparability of reported adhesive data. It updates the 2007 edition with revised normative references, updated tables and clarifications to simple stress analysis.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose: Identifies the most important properties needed for adhesive selection and for computer-aided design and joint evaluation. Emphasizes a balance between useful data and practical effort for data suppliers.
- Preferred test methods: For each property the document recommends a single (preferred) ISO test method to improve comparability (examples include ISO 527 for tensile, ISO 4587 for lap shear, ISO 11343 for dynamic cleavage, ISO 11357-2 for glass transition).
- Test conditions and traceability:
- Default measurement temperature: (23 ± 2) °C. Other temperatures must be recorded.
- Specimen storage: dry or (50 ± 10) % RH at (23 ± 2) °C until equilibrium.
- Record cure/post-cure temperatures and times, adhesive layer thickness and surface preparation when relevant.
- Properties covered (examples from Table 1):
- Tensile modulus, yield stress/strain, strain at failure
- Shear modulus, shear strength and shear strain
- Lap shear strength, peel resistance, dynamic resistance to cleavage
- Mode I fracture energy, hardness (Shore A/D), glass transition temperature (Tg), DMTA curve
- Thermal expansion coefficient, service temperature range, viscosity, working life, density, water absorption, electrical properties
- Durability and environment: Table 2 specifies test methods and exposure conditions to quantify environmental effects (lap shear strength after exposure). Tolerances for exposure/test temperatures are specified.
- Specimen preparation: Refers to ISO 17212 (surface preparation) and ISO 15166 series for bulk specimen preparation.
Practical applications and users
ISO 17194 is intended for:
- Adhesive manufacturers producing comparable property datasheets
- Materials and design engineers selecting adhesives for structural joints
- Test laboratories producing traceable measurement results
- Quality and procurement teams requiring standardized property reporting
- Simulation/modeling teams using material databases for joint simulation and finite-element analysis
Benefits include improved data comparability, support for computer-based selection and joint design, and clearer reporting of cure, storage and test conditions.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 17194, structural adhesives, database of properties, adhesive testing, lap shear strength, glass transition temperature, tensile modulus, DMTA, adhesive durability.