EN 12877-4:1999

Overview

EN 12877-4:1999 (CEN) specifies a laboratory method for assessing the colour stability of colouring materials in plastics by means of two-roll milling. The procedure exposes colouring materials under defined processing-like thermal and mechanical conditions and produces a relative value describing how the colour changes during heat treatment. This Part 4 procedure is primarily intended for testing colouring materials used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) formulations.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and purpose: Determine colour stability to heat during processing of colouring materials in plastics using two-roll milling.
• Test principle: Simulate processing heat/mechanical action via a two-roll mill; assess colour change after the defined treatment.
• Result type: Provides a relative indication of colour stability (not an absolute metric).
• Material focus: Mainly applied to colouring materials for PVC; relevant to pigments, dyes and masterbatches used in polymer processing.
• Standard context: Part 4 of the EN 12877 series and published by CEN; falls under ICS 83.040.30 (auxiliary materials and additives for plastics).
• Documentation and reproducibility: The method specifies defined conditions to enable comparable, repeatable test results across laboratories and suppliers.

(Note: EN 12877-4 defines the method and conditions; specific measurement techniques and acceptance criteria depend on user requirements or companion standards.)

Applications

• Quality control for pigment and masterbatch manufacturers assessing heat-induced colour change during compounding and processing.
• Product development and R&D to screen colouring materials for thermal stability before scale-up.
• Incoming inspection by PVC compounders and converters to ensure colour performance under processing conditions.
• Independent testing laboratories providing comparative data on colouring materials’ behaviour during heat and shear exposure.
• Regulatory or customer specifications where relative colour stability data are required for material selection and formulation decisions.

Who should use this standard

• Colourant manufacturers (pigments, dyes, masterbatches)
• Polymer compounders and PVC processors
• Quality assurance managers and product developers
• Materials testing laboratories and conformity assessment bodies

Related standards

• EN 12877-4 is part of the broader EN 12877 series covering colouring materials in plastics; users may reference other parts of the series or complementary colour measurement standards for full evaluation and reporting practices.

Keywords: EN 12877-4, two-roll milling, colour stability, colouring materials in plastics, PVC pigment testing, CEN standard, heat stability test, masterbatch quality control.