IEC 62899-505:2020

Overview

IEC 62899-505:2020 is an international standard that defines mechanical and thermal test methods for assessing the reliability of printed flexible gas sensors. It targets sensors built by printed-electronics techniques (flexible substrate, printed electrode and sensing layer) that operate at relatively low temperatures and are used to detect gases such as indoor air pollutants, combustion products (fire scenarios) and industrial flue gases. The standard helps unify test procedures for qualification of flexible and wearable gas-sensing products.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope of tests
  • Mechanical durability: bending, torsion and stretching tests tailored to the sensor’s flexibility and intended application.
  • Thermal durability: temperature cycling (upper/lower temperature extremes, conditioning, and defined severities) to evaluate thermal stress effects on sensing performance.
• Gas sensing performance measurement
  • Performance is measured before/after and at defined points during tests; results are reported as a consistency percentage between the actual test-gas concentration and the sensor reading.
  • Exposure sequence: clean air followed by test gas after stabilization; measurements taken at the end of each exposure.
• Controlled environmental conditions
  • Temperature controlled to ±2 °C during tests.
  • Relative humidity controlled to ±5 % RH unless otherwise specified.
  • Atmospheric pressure range specified: 86 kPa to 106 kPa.
  • Test gas delivered as a known mixture with clean air (N2/O2 mix); volume fraction uncertainty of the test gas component to be within ±2 % of nominal.
• Reporting
  • Test method descriptions, tolerances, conditioning procedures, test cycles and severities must be documented; results reported in accordance with the standard’s clauses.

Applications and who uses it

• Product manufacturers of printed and wearable gas sensors seeking consistent qualification procedures for device reliability.
• R&D teams developing flexible sensor substrates, printed electrodes, and sensing inks who need to validate mechanical and thermal robustness.
• Independent test laboratories and QA teams performing acceptance, batch or type testing.
• PPE and wearable-system integrators (e.g., firefighter garments, industrial workwear) requiring validated gas-sensing performance under mechanical deformation and thermal stress.
• Certification and regulatory bodies seeking harmonized test methods for device claims.

Related standards (normative references)

• IEC 60068-2-14 (environmental testing: change of temperature)
• IEC 60721-3-7 (classification of environmental parameters – portable use)
• IEC 62899-201 (printed electronics – materials: substrates)
• IEC 62899-501-1 and IEC 62899-502-1 (related printed-electronics quality assessment parts)
• ISO 11999-3 (PPE for firefighters – test methods for clothing)

This standard is essential for ensuring reliable printed flexible gas sensors used in wearable, portable and safety-critical environments, promoting consistent test methods and clear reporting of mechanical and thermal durability.