D EUTSCHE NORM February 1998

Paints and varnishes

Determination of resistance to humid atmospheres
containing sulfur dioxide
{
(ISO 3231 : 1993)
English version of DIN EN ISO 3231 EN ISO 3231

ICS 87.040

Descriptors: Coating materials, resistance to SO2 containing atmospheres, testing.

Beschichtungsstoffe – Bestimmung der Beständigkeit gegen feuchte, Schwefeldioxid enthaltende

Atmosphären (ISO 3231 : 1993)

European Standard EN ISO 3231 : 1997 has the status of a DIN Standard.

A comma is used as the decimal marker.

National foreword
This standard has been published in accordance with a decision taken by CEN/TC 139 to adopt, without
alteration, International Standard ISO 3231-1 as a European Standard.
The responsible German body involved in its preparation was the Normenausschuß Abstrichstoffe und
ähnliche Beschichtungsstoffe (Paints and Varnishes Standards Committee).
This standard contains more detailed instructions for the evaluation, or ‘final inspection’ (cf. subclause 9.4),
than do the standards on sulfur dioxide corrosion testing used in German-speaking countries up to now,
namely DIN 50018 and DIN EN ISO 6988.
It is known that organic coatings form blisters at a faster rate in a sulfur dioxide atmosphere than in a merely
humid atmosphere; the properties of binders also change more rapidly, causing a loss of gloss in isolated
areas at an early stage of testing. It has likewise been observed that discoloration occurs earlier in sulfur
dioxide atmospheres, especially when the pigments used are inorganic. Since small amounts of sulfur
dioxide are sufficient to effect these changes, it is recommended that the smaller amount specified in
subclause 9.2 (0,2 l) be used. In fact, the larger specified amount (1 l) often damages the coating before any
changes can be observed. It is also recommended that the number of test cycles be limited to three.
It has been observed that testing in accordance with this standard sometimes produces damages to the
coating which do not occur in practice. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that, for each type of
coating material, a check be made to see whether there is a correlation between the results of testing in
accordance with this standard and the actual performance of the coating under service conditions. It will
also be seen that the tests specified in this standard are more suitable for comparing different batches of
the same coating material than for comparing different types of coating material.
Because the sulfur dioxide can have an effect on the type of changes that occur, the amount introduced
should be carefully controlled. For this reason, some testers prefer to allow the sulfur dioxide to develop
in the airtight cabinet rather than introducing it from the outside; this modification of the test procedure
should be indicated in the test report.
It is common practice in Germany to use test panels with a 0,7 mm thickness (as opposed to the thicknesses
specified in subclause 8.1) when testing materials used for car bodies.
Experience has shown that the ambient conditions for the test apparatus need not be as restricted as those
specified here in subclauses 6.3 and 9.1, but that an ambient temperature of (23 t 2) °C and a relative
humidity up to 75 % are sufficient.

Continued overleaf.
EN comprises 6 pages.

© No part of this standard may be reproduced without the prior permission of Ref. No. DIN EN ISO 3231 : 1998-02
DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V., Berlin. English price group 08 Sales No. 1108
Beuth Verlag GmbH, D-10772 Berlin, has the exclusive right of sale for German Standards (DIN-Normen).
07.98
Page 2
DIN EN ISO 3231 : 1998-02

The DIN Standards corresponding to the International Standards referred to in clause 2 of the EN are as follows:
ISO Standard DIN Standard
ISO 1512 DIN EN 21512
ISO 1513 DIN EN ISO 1513
ISO 1514 DIN EN ISO 1514
ISO 2808 DIN ISO 2808*)
ISO 3696 DIN ISO 3696
ISO 4628-2 DIN 53209
ISO 4628-3 DIN 53210

National Annex NA
Standards referred to
(and not included in Normative references and Annex ZA)
DIN 50018 Sulfur dioxide corrosion testing in a saturated atmosphere
DIN 53209 Evaluation of degradation of paint coatings – Designation of intensity, quantity and size of
common types of defect – Designation of degree of blistering
DIN 53210 Designation of the degree of rusting of paints, varnishes and similar coatings
DIN EN 21512 Paints and varnishes – Sampling of products in liquid or paste form (ISO 1512 : 1991)
DIN EN ISO 1513 Paints and varnishes – Examination and preparation of samples (ISO 1513 : 1992)
DIN EN ISO 1514 Standard panels for testing paints and varnishes (ISO 1514 : 1993)
DIN EN ISO 6988 Metallic and other non-organic coatings – Sulphur dioxide test with general condensation
of moisture (ISO 6988 : 1985)

*) At present at the state of draft.

 EN ISO 3231

November 1997

ICS 87.040
Descriptors: Coating materials, resistance to SO2 containing atmospheres, testing.

English version

Paints and varnishes

Determination of resistance to humid atmospheres
containing sulfur dioxide
(ISO 3231 : 1993)

Peintures et vernis – Détermination Beschichtungsstoffe – Bestimmung

de la résistance aux atmosphères der Beständigkeit gegen feuchte,
humides contenant du dioxyde de Schwefeldioxid enthaltende
soufre (ISO 3231 : 1993) Atmosphären (ISO 3231 : 1993)

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1997-10-30.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a
national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national stand-
ards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any
CEN member.
The European Standards exist in three official versions (English, French, German).
A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a
CEN member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the
same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom.

ÈÉË
European Committee for Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation
Europäisches Komitee für Normung

Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels

© 1997. CEN – All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means Ref. No. EN ISO 3231 : 1997 E
reserved worldwide for CEN national members.
Page 2
EN ISO 3231 : 1997

Foreword
International Standard
ISO 3231 Paints and varnishes – Determination of resistance to humid atmospheres containing sulfur dioxide,
which was prepared by ISO/TC 35 ‘Paints and varnishes’ of the International Organization for Standardization,
has been adopted by Technical Committee CEN/TC 139 ‘Paints and varnishes’, the Secretariat of which is held
by DIN, as a European Standard.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, and conflicting national standards withdrawn, by May 1998 at the latest.
In accordance with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the follow-
ing countries are bound to implement this European Standard:
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard ISO 3231 : 1993 was approved by CEN as a European Standard without
any modification.
NOTE: Normative references to international publications are listed in Annex ZA (normative).
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