ISO 12625-17:2021

Overview

ISO 12625-17:2021 - "Tissue paper and tissue products - Part 17: Determination of disintegration in water" specifies a laboratory test method to assess how tissue paper and tissue products disintegrate when subjected to mechanical agitation in water. The standard defines sample preparation, apparatus, reagents and a timed test procedure (30 s, 2 min and 10 min) that measures the fraction of material remaining on a specified sieve after agitation and rinsing, with results expressed gravimetrically.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and principle: Determines disintegration by agitating a 1.0 g ± 0.1 g test piece in deionized water and collecting residues on a 12.5 mm perforated sieve for gravimetric analysis.
• Test times: Agitation periods at 30 s, 2 min and 10 min (3 replicates each). If no residue at 30 s, 2 min testing may be waived and considered 100% passing.
• Apparatus & settings:
  • Agitating device with PTFE screw-propeller at 800 r/min ± 20 r/min (Annex A describes the propeller).
  • Transparent beaker ~98 mm internal diameter, 600 ml ± 10 ml water per test.
  • Stainless-steel sieve (ISO 3310-2) with 12.5 mm round holes; shower head delivering 4.0 l/min ± 0.5 l/min for rinsing (Annex B shows examples).
  • Drying oven (105 °C ± 2 °C) and analytical balance (0.001 g).
• Reagents & environment: Deionized water at 23.0 °C ± 0.5 °C, conductivity ≤ 0.25 mS/m (ISO 14487); tests at ambient 23 °C ± 1 °C; conditioning per ISO 187.
• Sample prep: Nine test pieces per sample, single plies for unconverted tissue, no ply separation for converted multi-ply products. Option for accelerated ageing (curing) - e.g., 80 °C ± 2 °C for 30 min or quick QC 105 °C for 15 min; report must state ageing choice.
• Analysis: Collect residues, dry (ISO 638-1), and weigh to calculate percentage disintegration. Precision data are provided in Annex D.

Applications and users

ISO 12625-17:2021 is practical for:

• Tissue manufacturers and converters - quality control and product development (wet-strength formulations, ply design).
• Independent testing laboratories - standardized method for reproducible disintegration measurement.
• Retailers and brand owners - verification of product performance claims (e.g., flushability-related disintegration behavior).
• Regulators and wastewater utilities - supporting risk assessment of sanitary products in sewage systems.
• R&D teams - comparing formulations, evaluating accelerated ageing effects on wet strength and disintegration.

Key benefits: provides reproducible, comparable data for product specification, regulatory compliance, flushability assessment, and process control.

Related standards

• ISO 186 - Sampling to determine average quality
• ISO 187 - Standard atmosphere for conditioning and testing
• ISO 638-1 - Dry matter content (oven-drying)
• ISO 3310-1 / ISO 3310-2 - Test sieve requirements
• ISO 14487 - Standard water for physical testing

Keywords: ISO 12625-17:2021, tissue paper, disintegration in water, test method, agitation, sieve, wet strength, accelerated ageing, conditioning, quality control.