Overview
ISO 19210:2017 - "Adhesives - Wood adhesives for non-structural applications - Determination of tensile shear strength of lap joints" specifies a laboratory method to evaluate the tensile shear strength of thin-bond-line lap joints in wood adhesives used for non-structural applications. The standard focuses on resistance to hot and cold water, classification support for durability classes, and comparative assessment of bond strength for thin adhesive layers. It does not apply to structural adhesives or to manufacturing tests for particleboard, fibreboard or plywood, nor does it replace tests on finished products.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Test principle: Symmetrical single-lap joints of wooden adherends are conditioned and loaded in tensile shear until rupture, with force applied parallel to the grain.
- Test specimens: Typical dimensions provided:
- panel thickness: 5.0 ± 0.1 mm
- test piece width: 20.0 ± 0.2 mm
- total length: 150 ± 5 mm
- overlap length (bonded area): 10.0 ± 0.2 mm
- nominal thin bond line ≈ 0.1 mm
- Conditioning: Standard atmospheres of 20 °C/65% RH or 23 °C/50% RH for at least 7 days; further conditioning sequences specified for durability classification (see ISO 19209 / EN 12765).
- Number of tests: 20 test pieces per conditioning sequence.
- Loading rates:
- Thermoplastic adhesives: approx. 50 mm/min
- Thermosetting adhesives: 6–12 mm/min
- If using constant-rate-of-loading, target rupture times are specified.
- Result expression: Tensile shear strength τ (N/mm²) calculated from maximum force Fmax divided by bonded area (τ = Fmax / (l × b)). Report strength values for 20 specimens, rounded to 0.1 N/mm², plus estimated percentage of wood failure and test conditions.
- Reporting: Detailed reporting requirements include adhesive identity, processing parameters (spread, assembly times, pressure), wood species and moisture content, conditioning, and test rate.
Applications and users
ISO 19210:2017 is used by:
- Adhesive manufacturers for product development, QC and durability classification (supports ISO 19209 and EN 12765 classes).
- Independent test laboratories performing standardized tensile shear tests on lap joints.
- R&D teams optimizing processing parameters (adhesive spread, assembly time, pressure) for thin bond lines.
- Specifiers and procurement teams who need validated comparative data on non-structural wood adhesive performance.
- Certification and compliance bodies assessing claims about water resistance and bond strength.
Related standards
- ISO 19209 - Classification of thermoplastic wood adhesives for non-structural applications
- EN 12765 - Classification of thermosetting wood adhesives for non-structural applications
- ISO 5893 - Test equipment specification (constant rate of traverse)
- EN 923 - Adhesive terms and definitions
Keywords: ISO 19210:2017, wood adhesives, tensile shear strength, lap joints, thin bond line, non-structural adhesives, durability classification, adhesive testing.