Overview
EN ISO 20768:2021 (ISO 20768:2018) - "Vapour products - Routine analytical vaping machine - Definitions and standard conditions" - defines parameters and required standard conditions for laboratory vaping machines used to generate aerosol from vapour products. It specifies technical requirements for routine analytical vaping machines (suction source, puff control, holders and test atmosphere) but deliberately does not prescribe the vapour product, e‑liquid composition, aerosol trapping methods or subsequent chemical analyses.
This standard was prepared by ISO/TC 126 and adopted by CEN as EN ISO 20768:2021, providing harmonized European and international guidance for consistent machine-based aerosol generation.
Key Topics
- Definitions: Clear, harmonized terms for vapour product, puff volume, puff duration, puff period, puff number, puff profile, puff activation/termination, aerosol stream/trap, port and related concepts.
- Standard conditions (Clause 4): Specifies the core puff parameters to be controlled during testing - puff volume, duration, period, number and profile. Notably, the document states the standard puff volume is 55 ml ± 0.6 ml measured at the machine port.
- Suction source and machine requirements: Technical requirements for the vaping machine’s suction system including operating principle, flow/puff profile control, reliability and compensation (ability to maintain constant puff volumes/profiles when pressure drop changes).
- Vapour product interfacing: Requirements for the vapour product holder, port, aerosol traps and activation timing (synchronization of puff activation to aerosol generation).
- Test atmosphere and termination: Guidance on the atmospheric conditions during testing and definition of termination of aerosol generation (e.g., battery failure, exhausted liquid).
- Limitations: The standard emphasizes machine testing characterizes emissions for development and regulatory comparability - it is not a measure of human exposure or risk.
Applications
- Standardizes routine laboratory generation of aerosol for:
- Emissions characterization during product development
- Regulatory reporting and compliance testing
- Inter‑laboratory method harmonization and quality control
- Useful when producing reproducible aerosol samples for downstream trapping and chemical analysis (e.g., constituent quantification), while leaving analytical methods open.
Who uses this standard
- Test laboratories performing vaping emissions studies
- Electronic cigarette and vapour product manufacturers (R&D and quality)
- Test equipment designers and manufacturers of routine analytical vaping machines
- Regulatory agencies and conformity assessment bodies requiring standardized test conditions
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 20768:2021, ISO 20768, routine analytical vaping machine, vapour products, puff volume, puff profile, aerosol trap, vaping test standard.
