EN 1217 Materials and Articles in Contact with Foodstuffs - Test Methods for Water Absorption of Ceramic Articles

EUROLAB, with its state-of-the-art accredited laboratories and expert team, offers precise and rapid testing services within the scope of EN 1217 testing. This European Standard specifies test methods for determining the water absorption rate of ceramic articles.

Three testing methods are described:

• Test method A is based on the increase in mass of test specimens after immersion in boiling water under defined conditions and requires test specimens having no more than one glazed surface;
• Test method B is based on the same principle and general procedure as method A, but with longer immersion in boiling water;
• Test method C is based on the increase in mass of the test samples following a combination of draining, then soaking and boiling the test samples to aid water penetration.

Water absorption generally provides an indication of the degree of vitrification of the body of a ceramic ware; The lower the water absorption, the higher the degree of vitrification. A high degree of vitrification is required to achieve significant performance characteristics in certain categories of ceramic products. Water absorption is one of the properties used to characterize different types of ceramic items.

The increase in mass is determined as a result of water immersion under controlled conditions and is expressed as a percentage of the mass of the dry test sample.

EUROLAB assists manufacturers with EN 1217 test compliance. Our test experts, with their professional working mission and principles, provide you, our manufacturers and suppliers, the best service and controlled testing process in our laboratories. Thanks to these services, businesses receive more effective, high-performance and quality testing services and provide safe, fast and uninterrupted service to their customers.