ISO 6187:2001

Overview

ISO 6187:2001 specifies a laboratory test method for determining friability of rigid cellular plastics. The standard measures the mass loss caused by a combination of abrasion and impact in a tumbling mechanism, providing a repeatable way to quantify how much a rigid cellular plastic will crumble or crush under mechanical handling. The method is intended for quality control, specification and comparative testing of materials such as expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, polyurethane and other rigid cellular plastics.

Key topics and requirements

• Test principle: mass loss of test specimens after controlled tumbling (abrasion + impact).
• Apparatus: a dust-tight cubical oak box mounted on a horizontal shaft (inside dimensions ~190 × 197 × 197 mm) rotated at 60 ± 2 revolutions per minute.
• Abrasive media: 24 oak cubes (≈19 ± 0.8 mm, density ~650 kg/m3) are included and periodically replaced to control wear.
• Specimens: three sets of twelve specimens (25 ± 1.5 mm cubes) are prepared from the same material; special surfaces may be included as one face.
• Conditioning: specimens and oak cubes conditioned at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5% RH (or oven-dried at 70 ± 2 °C to constant mass where applicable).
• Procedure: place 12 specimens + 24 oak cubes in the box, rotate for 600 ± 3 revolutions, recover and weigh; perform three independent tests.
• Calculation: percent mass loss = (m1 − m2) / m1 × 100, averaged over three tests and reported to two significant figures.
• Precision: the standard provides repeatability and reproducibility data from interlaboratory trials; no bias value is given because no certified reference material exists.
• Reporting: include reference to ISO 6187, material description (type, source, density per ISO 845), conditioning details, percent mass loss, observations of damage, and test date.
• Safety note: users must address relevant safety and health practices when performing the method.

Applications and users

ISO 6187 is used for:

• Quality control and batch acceptance testing by manufacturers of rigid cellular plastics (insulation, packaging, structural foams).
• Laboratory testing and material comparison by third-party testing labs and research organizations.
• Product specification drafting and verification for construction materials, packaging performance, and handling robustness.
• R&D to evaluate formulation or process changes that affect surface durability and friability.

Keywords: ISO 6187, friability test, rigid cellular plastics, mass loss, tumbling abrasion, oak cubes, conditioning, repeatability, reproducibility.

Related standards

• ISO 845:1988 - determination of apparent (bulk) density of cellular plastics (referenced for reporting density).