ISO 23900-1:2015

Overview

ISO 23900-1:2015, titled Pigments and extenders - Methods of dispersion and assessment of dispersibility in plastics - Part 1: General introduction, is an essential international standard published by ISO. This document serves as the introductory segment of the ISO 23900 series, detailing fundamental concepts and the scope of methods for dispersing pigments and extenders in plastics. Its primary aim is to establish a baseline for assessing the dispersion characteristics and colouristic properties of pigments within plastic materials, ensuring consistent and practical evaluation under standardized conditions.

Key Topics

• Dispersion and Dispersibility: The standard defines dispersibility as the ease and extent to which pigments or extenders are homogeneously distributed within plastics by wetting, eliminating air, and mechanical disagglomeration, measured by colour strength and agglomerate frequency.
• Methods of Dispersion: Various practical procedures exist for dispersing pigments in plastics; ISO 23900-1 introduces these methods, emphasizing that selection depends on the plastics material and processing conditions.
• Assessment Techniques: Techniques to evaluate dispersion include colour strength measurement and agglomerate analysis. The document highlights that assessment methods must be agreed upon before testing, reflecting real-world application and reproducibility.
• Materials and Equipment: Recognizing the diversity of plastics and equipment used industrially, the standard refrains from specifying a single material or procedure, instead guiding on appropriate choices for meaningful results.
• Related Parts of ISO 23900: ISO 23900-1 lays the groundwork for subsequent parts, which detail exact dispersion and assessment procedures for different plastics and pigment types, such as:
  • Two-roll milling in plasticized PVC and polyethylene
  • Filter pressure value tests
  • Film tests for dispersibility evaluation

Applications

ISO 23900-1:2015 is pivotal for industries that rely on high-quality pigmentation in plastics, including:

• Plastic Manufacturing: Enhances quality control by standardizing pigment dispersibility testing, leading to improved colour uniformity and product performance.
• Pigment Production: Allows manufacturers to benchmark test pigments against reference standards, optimizing formulations for easier dispersion.
• Quality Assurance Labs: Facilitates consistent evaluation methods that support material certification and conformity assessment in pigment dispersion.
• Research & Development: Provides structured methodologies to study dispersibility properties, helping innovate new pigments and plastic compound formulations.

Related Standards

ISO 23900-1 operates within a series of standards focusing on pigment dispersion in plastics:

• ISO 23900-2: Details dispersion and colouristic assessment in plasticized PVC using two-roll milling.
• ISO 23900-3: Covers similar methods for black and colour pigments in polyethylene.
• ISO 23900-4: Focuses on white pigments dispersion in polyethylene.
• ISO 23900-5: Specifies the filter pressure value test for assessing dispersibility.
• ISO 23900-6: Describes the film test method to evaluate pigment dispersion in polymer films.

By integrating ISO 23900-1 with these specialized parts, users obtain a comprehensive framework for evaluating pigment dispersibility tailored to specific plastics and industrial processes.

Keywords: ISO 23900-1, pigment dispersibility, pigment dispersion methods, plastics pigmentation, colouristic properties, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene pigments, two-roll milling, filter pressure test, film test, pigment quality assessment, plastic manufacturing standards, pigment testing in plastics.