Overview
ISO/TS 22638:2018 specifies a road simulator laboratory method for the controlled generation and collection of tyre and road wear particles (TRWP). The technical specification describes the road simulator system, test pavement and tyres, aspiration/collection system, monitoring requirements, and test reporting. The method is designed to produce TRWP that are representative of actual driving conditions while excluding road-surface contaminants (brake dust, exhaust, oil). Note: the method may not be relevant for studded tyres.
Keywords: ISO/TS 22638, TRWP, tyre and road wear particles, road simulator laboratory method, tyre wear particles.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Generation system: a programmable road simulator (e.g., interior drum or rotating tabletop) with pavement cassettes that allows a tyre to interface with pavement similar to real operation. System capabilities include a maximum test speed ≥ 150 km/h and adjustable parameters such as camber, slip, steering, radial and normal forces.
- Monitoring: continuous logging of tyre speed, system temperature, tyre forces/torques and enclosure/ventilation rates to document test conditions and collection efficiency.
- Test pavement: exchangeable, unweathered pavement cassettes that mimic actual road surfaces (asphalt-based pavement such as that specified in ISO 10844 is recommended).
- Test tyres: market-representative tyres (passenger or truck; seasonal/performance variants) maintained at manufacturer-recommended pressures and loads.
- Collection system: stainless-steel capture hood and vacuum aspiration positioned behind the rolling tyre; collected particles sieved at 150 µm, weighed on a precision balance, and stored in pre-weighed amber glass jars.
- Procedures and operational profile: programmable driving cycles representative of city/highway mixes (documented percentage time across speed bands). Acceleration/deceleration typically 1–2 m/s². Clean test environment required to avoid contamination.
- Reporting: complete test report including system characteristics, pavement/tyre details, simulation parameters, ventilation rates, sample mass, monitoring data and anomalies.
Practical applications and users
ISO/TS 22638 is intended for:
- Environmental researchers and ecotoxicologists studying TRWP composition and fate.
- Laboratory and test facilities generating representative samples for chemical and physical characterization.
- Tyre and pavement manufacturers comparing wear performance and formulation effects.
- Regulatory bodies and policymakers requiring standardized TRWP data for emission inventories and risk assessment.
- Developers of mitigation technologies (runoff capture, filtration) needing controlled test particles for validation.
Practical uses include generating TRWP for toxicity testing, chemical fingerprinting, particle morphology/size distribution studies, comparative testing of tyre or pavement designs, and producing input data for environmental models.
Related standards
- ISO 10844 (test track / pavement specifications) - recommended pavement reference.
- ISO 7708, ISO 4225, ISO 4226 - related air quality and particle terminology/measurement guidance (listed in the ISO/TS bibliography).
For labs and researchers seeking reproducible, contamination-controlled TRWP samples, ISO/TS 22638 provides a practical, standardized laboratory pathway to generate representative tyre and road wear particles.