CEN/TS 15534-1:2007

Foreword
Introduction
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 Test specimens
5 Conditioning
6 Physical properties
   6.1 Density
   6.2 Moisture content
   6.3 Heat deflection temperature (HDT)
   6.4 Coefficient of friction
7 Mechanical properties
   7.1 Impact resistance
        7.1.1 Flexural impact
        7.1.2 Falling mass impact
        7.1.3 Puncture impact
   7.2 Tensile properties
   7.3 Flexural properties
        7.3.1 Materials
        7.3.2 Non-load bearing products
        7.3.3 Load bearing products
   7.4 Creep behaviour
        7.4.1 Materials
        7.4.2 Products
   7.5 Resistance to indentation (Brinell hardness)
   7.6 Nail and screw withdrawal
   7.7 Pull through resistance
8 Durability
   8.1 Resistance to artificial weathering
        8.1.1 Xenon-arc sources
        8.1.2 Fluorescent UV lamps for coated WPC products
        8.1.3 Other test methods
   8.2 Resistance to natural ageing
   8.3 Swelling and water absorption
   8.4 Dimensional changes (changes in relative humidity
        of air)
   8.5 Moisture resistance
        8.5.1 Under cyclic conditions
        8.5.2 Closed environment at elevated temperature
   8.6 Resistance against biological agents
        8.6.1 Ageing procedure
        8.6.2 Resistance against termites
        8.6.3 Resistance against wood decaying and staining
               fungi and micro-organisms
9 Thermal properties
   9.1 Linear thermal expansion
   9.2 Heat reversion
   9.3 Heat build-up
10 Burning behaviour
   10.1 Limit oxygen index (LOI)
   10.2 Reaction to fire
        10.2.1 Single flame source test
        10.2.2 Single burning item (SBI) test
        10.2.3 Radiant heat source test (for floorings)
11 Other properties
   11.1 Degree of chalking
   11.2 Change of gloss
   11.3 Peel strength resistance
12 Summary of the properties and relevant test methods
Bibliography
Annex A (normative) - Impact resistance of cellular material
                      profiles
Annex B (informative) - Irradiance level and exposure time to be
                        used for artificial weathering
Annex C (normative) - Resistance of WPC materials against a
                      termite attack
Annex D (normative) - Resistance of WPC materials against an
                      attack by wood-destroying basidiomycetes
Annex E (normative) - Resistance of WPC materials against an
                      attack by soft rotting microfungi
Annex F (normative) - Predicting heat build-up in WPC products
Annex G (normative) - Determination of the peel strength

This Technical specification specifies test methods and their relevant parameters and test conditions to be used in determining selected properties of wood-plastics composites, usually called WPC, materials and products. It is applicable to cellular or non-cellular WPC materials processed through plastics processing techniques, as defined in Clause 3. The properties have been selected from the test methods usually used in the plastics and wood fields. These test methods are primarily intended to be used for the characterisation of WPC materials (see CEN/TS 15534-2 [1]) and WPC products (see CEN/TS 15534-3 [2]).NOTEThis document may be revised when other parts of CEN/TS 15534 are being amended or added.The purpose of this document is to provide test methods to assess a wide range of performance characteristics for WPC materials and products. But, all the characteristics listed in this part of CEN/TS 15534 are not necessarily to be assessed for a given application. This Technical Specification takes into account the current state of the art and is intended to be used by WPC material suppliers and converters. No limitation has been introduced for the content of cellulosic materials.