ISO 10591:2021

Overview

ISO 10591:2021, "Building and civil engineering sealants - Determination of adhesion/cohesion properties of sealants after immersion in water," specifies a laboratory method to assess the influence of water on the adhesion and cohesion performance of sealants with predominantly plastic behaviour used in building and civil engineering joints. The standard defines specimen preparation, conditioning (water and heat exposure), tensile testing and reporting requirements to determine elongation and failure mode after water immersion.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and principle: Test specimens are made by bonding a sealant bead between two parallel substrate pieces, immersing specimens in water under defined conditions, then extending them to rupture to record elongation at break and failure type (adhesive, cohesive or mixed).
• Substrates: Materials follow ISO 13640; typical substrates include mortar, anodized aluminium and glass (other substrates allowed by agreement).
• Specimen components: Use spacers (12 mm × 12 mm) and an anti-adherent backing (e.g., PE film). Surfaces must be cleaned (remove ash from cement; clean aluminium and glass with acetone) and follow manufacturer instructions for primers or multi-component mixing.
• Conditioning methods:
  • Method A: 28 days at (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 10) % RH.
  • Method B: Method A plus three cycles combining oven exposure at (70 ± 2) °C and immersion in distilled water at (23 ± 2) °C; final storage 24 h at (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 10) % RH.
• Test procedure: After conditioning, remove spacers, immerse specimens for four days in water at (23 ± 2) °C, then store 1 day in air at (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 10) % RH. Perform tensile testing at an extension rate of (5.5 ± 0.5) mm/min and record force–extension curves.
• Results & reporting: Compute elongation at break for each specimen, report the arithmetic mean of three specimens (rounded as specified), provide force/extension diagrams and note failure type. Test reports must include sealant identification, batch, substrates, primer, conditioning method, and any deviations.

Applications and users

ISO 10591:2021 is used for:

• Sealant manufacturers - product development and quality control for water resistance.
• Test laboratories - standardized test methods and reporting for certification and comparison.
• Specifiers, architects and façade engineers - performance verification for joint sealing in buildings and civil works.
• Contractors and procurement teams - compliance checks and acceptance testing for installed sealants.

Keywords: ISO 10591:2021, sealants, adhesion/cohesion, water immersion test, building and civil engineering, tensile test, conditioning, sealant performance.

Related standards

• ISO 13640 - test substrate specifications for sealant testing.
• ISO 6927 - sealant vocabulary and definitions.