Overview
SIST ISO 9512:2020 - "Cigarettes - Determination of ventilation - Definitions and measurement principles" is an international standard that defines terms and specifies a method for measuring ventilation in unlit cigarettes. It sets out the measurement principle (air drawn at a constant flow in the smoking direction), apparatus and calibration requirements, sampling and conditioning rules, and how to express and report results. The third edition introduces the prime designator (Q′) for inlet-side ventilation components and updates calibration and precision information.
Key topics and technical requirements
Practical applications and who uses this standard
- Tobacco manufacturers - product design, quality control and release testing for ventilated cigarettes.
- Analytical and contract testing laboratories - standardized measurement protocols for consistent, comparable results.
- Instrument manufacturers - design and calibration guidance for ventilation measurement devices.
- Regulatory bodies and R&D teams - method for verifying declared ventilation and assessing product characteristics related to smoke dilution.
Related standards
- ISO 3308 - Routine analytical cigarette‑smoking machine: insertion depth and standard conditions.
- ISO 3402 - Conditioning and testing atmosphere for tobacco products.
- ISO 6565 - Draw resistance and pressure‑drop measurement for cigarettes and filter rods.
SIST ISO 9512:2020 provides the essential measurement definitions and principles needed to quantify cigarette ventilation reliably and reproducibly across industry and regulatory testing.